Church Going by Philip Larkin - Explanation
"Church Going" is written by Philip Larkin, a Movement poet. He was a prominent English literary figure of the second half of the twentieth century. In this poem, the poet wrote about the disillusionment of the church and its calming mysterious atmosphere despite its unworthiness.
Stanza 1
The narrator visits a church whenever he finds that no one is inside or nothing important is going on in the church. In other words, he wants to be alone and reflects in the church. Perhaps, people might find him there and he doesn't want them to know it. From the beginning of the poem, it seems that he is an atheist who doesn't believe in Christ, but still, he goes to the abode of the god. He describes the interior of the church and things kept there - "little books", "brownish flowers". "Another church" shows his indifferent attitude towards this holy place. An "unignorable silence" prevails there for a long time.
He enters the church and notices the refurbished and cleaned roof. He narrates all these things with I-don't-care-attitude. He comes near the lectern and examines the verses of the bible kept there and parodies the authority of verse-reader by reading the verses aloud. On leaving the place, he signs the visitor book and donates an Irish sixpence. He concludes that "the place is not worth stopping for."
Despite finding the place unworthy, he often visits there and recurs this thought of wasteful visit. He doesn't know what he is looking there. He wonders a time when churches lose its significance. He thinks of ways how to make them useful for other purposes. Some of the useful objects of the church should be kept in locked cases. He gives the idea of leaving the Church at the mercy of time; with rains and animals making it their barn. He contemplates if they should avoid church as "unlucky places".
In such circumstances, superstitious women might come to deserted churches with their children to touch a particular fortune stone. Some find medicinal herbs which, they believe, can cure cancer. Some might be curious about the hearsay of dead bodies walking around. The narrator believes that just like beliefs, superstitions must die with time. The only remnants would be the things grow or take its place with time like "Grass, weedy pavement, brambles, buttress".
With passing time, the church would become "less recognizable" due to negligence. He wonders who would be the last visitor of the church in less recognizable form, would it be a record-keeper, an archaeologist or an antique-lover? Maybe someone who loves Christmas might find the church. He might be someone like the narrator himself.
The narrator who is "bored and uninformed" about this place, feels the ghostly presence around there perhaps, because of the cemetery in the church. The land used for centuries for burial purpose, is also the place where ceremonies related to death, marriage and baptism take place. He reckons that churches are primarily built for the above purposes. He has no idea what is the value of the church. Again, he used a disrespectful word like "frowsty barn", but in the next line, he also says that he feels joyous and relaxed to be standing there. This means that he still is faithful to the church.
In the last stanza, he changes its earlier wordings and calls it "a serious house on serious earth". According to him, it garbs all our social compulsions as our ultimate destiny. Church won't be abandoned because people will always come in search of something solemn in this place. And at the same time, by watching all the burials there, men will realise that death is inevitable Spiritual thirst never leaves human beings and in this search, mankind will visit the church to seek wisdom.
Stanza 1
The narrator visits a church whenever he finds that no one is inside or nothing important is going on in the church. In other words, he wants to be alone and reflects in the church. Perhaps, people might find him there and he doesn't want them to know it. From the beginning of the poem, it seems that he is an atheist who doesn't believe in Christ, but still, he goes to the abode of the god. He describes the interior of the church and things kept there - "little books", "brownish flowers". "Another church" shows his indifferent attitude towards this holy place. An "unignorable silence" prevails there for a long time.
He enters the church and notices the refurbished and cleaned roof. He narrates all these things with I-don't-care-attitude. He comes near the lectern and examines the verses of the bible kept there and parodies the authority of verse-reader by reading the verses aloud. On leaving the place, he signs the visitor book and donates an Irish sixpence. He concludes that "the place is not worth stopping for."
Despite finding the place unworthy, he often visits there and recurs this thought of wasteful visit. He doesn't know what he is looking there. He wonders a time when churches lose its significance. He thinks of ways how to make them useful for other purposes. Some of the useful objects of the church should be kept in locked cases. He gives the idea of leaving the Church at the mercy of time; with rains and animals making it their barn. He contemplates if they should avoid church as "unlucky places".
In such circumstances, superstitious women might come to deserted churches with their children to touch a particular fortune stone. Some find medicinal herbs which, they believe, can cure cancer. Some might be curious about the hearsay of dead bodies walking around. The narrator believes that just like beliefs, superstitions must die with time. The only remnants would be the things grow or take its place with time like "Grass, weedy pavement, brambles, buttress".
With passing time, the church would become "less recognizable" due to negligence. He wonders who would be the last visitor of the church in less recognizable form, would it be a record-keeper, an archaeologist or an antique-lover? Maybe someone who loves Christmas might find the church. He might be someone like the narrator himself.
The narrator who is "bored and uninformed" about this place, feels the ghostly presence around there perhaps, because of the cemetery in the church. The land used for centuries for burial purpose, is also the place where ceremonies related to death, marriage and baptism take place. He reckons that churches are primarily built for the above purposes. He has no idea what is the value of the church. Again, he used a disrespectful word like "frowsty barn", but in the next line, he also says that he feels joyous and relaxed to be standing there. This means that he still is faithful to the church.
In the last stanza, he changes its earlier wordings and calls it "a serious house on serious earth". According to him, it garbs all our social compulsions as our ultimate destiny. Church won't be abandoned because people will always come in search of something solemn in this place. And at the same time, by watching all the burials there, men will realise that death is inevitable Spiritual thirst never leaves human beings and in this search, mankind will visit the church to seek wisdom.
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