Next, Please by Philip Larkin - Explanation
The poem "Next, Please" written by Philip Larkin has both literal and symbolic meaning which sends a philosophical and realistic message to the readers. It makes a criticism on our unrealistic expectations. The poem uses a recurring rhyme scheme of aabb throughout the poem.
According to the poet, in our long pursuit of leading a happy and desirous life, we inculcate some unsound habits in our character. We are always too hopeful about the coming future and we add various fantasizing expectations to it.
We long for better prospects in future. It doesn't matter what we say as "something is always approaching us; every day" whether it's acceptable to us or not. The poet finds this common human nature quite absurd and it seems to us that he is a pessimist but we should note that he is a practical man.
The narrator standing on a bluff (a high steep bank), watches a fleet of ships arriving towards the shore. He finds them too slow, wasting precious time. He criticises them for "refusing to make haste." Symbolically, the poet brings light on the common human tendency of expecting future opportunities or "promises" and finding them coming into his/her life at a sluggish rate.
Still, these expectations keep us waiting and afterwards, disappointment follows it. The fleet keeps moving at the same slow pace with no serious approach to its destiny i.e. the harbour. The "brasswork" of the ships distinct themselves from each other. They give us the number of the ships in a fleet from distance.
The fleet approaching the harbour still has not reached it and in fact "it never anchors;" Our present hopes will eventually change into past fantasies and this cycle will continue to the last of our life.
According to the poet, in our long pursuit of leading a happy and desirous life, we inculcate some unsound habits in our character. We are always too hopeful about the coming future and we add various fantasizing expectations to it.
We long for better prospects in future. It doesn't matter what we say as "something is always approaching us; every day" whether it's acceptable to us or not. The poet finds this common human nature quite absurd and it seems to us that he is a pessimist but we should note that he is a practical man.
The narrator standing on a bluff (a high steep bank), watches a fleet of ships arriving towards the shore. He finds them too slow, wasting precious time. He criticises them for "refusing to make haste." Symbolically, the poet brings light on the common human tendency of expecting future opportunities or "promises" and finding them coming into his/her life at a sluggish rate.
Still, these expectations keep us waiting and afterwards, disappointment follows it. The fleet keeps moving at the same slow pace with no serious approach to its destiny i.e. the harbour. The "brasswork" of the ships distinct themselves from each other. They give us the number of the ships in a fleet from distance.
The fleet approaching the harbour still has not reached it and in fact "it never anchors;" Our present hopes will eventually change into past fantasies and this cycle will continue to the last of our life.
We believe these "illusions" will bring us real happiness after waiting for a long time. It seems to us that it will "unload All good into our lives," but it never happens. We think we owe a great deal after our patience. But we are wrong in perceiving the future as an ideal gift for us which we think we deserve.
In the end, the poet states that there is only one ship which is seeking us and it will certainly find us anywhere. This ship has dark body design and carries with it "A huge and birdless silence". This ship is death which will surely take us away one day.