Ambulances - Larkin

Ambulances is a poem about a person who is in an ambulance clinging onto life. The rhyme pattern in this poem is very interesting with it going in the pattern A, B, C, B, C, A. Larkin is presenting the view that this is what everyday life is like, it continues on in the same beat and that it never changes. It can also be a representation of the person's heart beat through the half rhymes of C, which are found on the first stanza and the last stanza. Larkin is suggesting that there is no progression within this poem, that the beginning of this poem also results in the same outcome. Words such as 'closed' and confessionals' in the first stanza suggests the idea of the ambulance patients feelings, that he is just hanging on for life and that his future could go either way.

The second stanza uses a lot of vernacular and demotic language. The neutral descriptions present the fact of the shocked nature of these people about what has happened. Words such as 'strewn' give a sense of a thrown around feeling, it really exaggerates and places emphasis on how valuable life is through this serious injury. 'Stowed' is used by Larkin to give the notion of the difference between humans and objects, however this is done in a casual manner. The way in which Larkin describes this person comes across as if he is being presented as luggage.

In the third stanza the quote 'solving emptiness' is used for a metaphor for death, in turn this acts as a euphemism to deter from the situation of death. The representation of shock is again highlighted in this stanza through words such as 'permanent' and 'blank'. That this community of people's shock will be permanently with them for ever and that they are feeling blank and empty about this idea. The three words 'thread' 'blend' and 'loosen' have interesting connotations to them in this poem as well. The word 'thread' suggests that you are holding on to life, like you would in an ambulance. 'Blend' suggest the chances of surviving increase is this thread 'thickens'. And 'loosen' suggests that when life itself begins to loosen, you are near death. In a way it seems as though these three words act as a metaphor for the representation of life after you have had a serious accident.

The last stanza gives off an interesting view on death and gives off some religious imagery again as well. The quote 'And dulls to distance all we are' suggests the aspect of Larkin being atheist again. This is a reflection of near death, but also the view that there is nothing beyond living on Earth, once you die you are dead and gone. Another negative aspect that seems to be highlighted within this stanza is the idea of 'the exchange of love'. It comes across rather transactional in it's nature, something mechanical in other words. This paints a picture in the mind of the reader of something like a façade, something that isn't genuine. In turn, this gives off a negative selfish feel to the phrase. However the fact that it is 'love' also comes across positively as well, therefore the reader gets neutral feelings from this idea.

 The main themes of this poem seem to be death and the progression and value of life as well.