A Letter from Ogmore - Abse

From within the first stanza we get the impression that time has slowly gone by. 'Goodbye 20th century' suggests that this century has passed on by. There is also the mention of 'Hiroshima and Auschwitz' which conveys that the persona is remembering and preserving historical events of the 20th century.

The second stanza is much like the first using the repetition of 'Goodbye, 20th century' this again reinforces this idea of the passing of the age and maybe the fact that this is a memory poem. The quote 'even my nostalgia is becoming history' suggests that the persona's longing for the past is now in the past, maybe the persona doesn't like the speed in which time moves on. The persona also mentions the 'genealogy of ghosts' so he is reflecting on how time moves on and how fast generations of people live on, reinforcing that if the dead aren't preserved then they are forgotten like ghosts.

Within stanza three the persona contemplates his own existence, the remembrance of the pass makes him realise how lucky he is to be alive. The present is described positively through words such as 'mellow, unrolling and holy'. The persona comments 'I survive'.

It is clear that the persona starts to remember certain legends that have happened by the coast that he is at in the present. This is represented through the quote  'a fabulist like lolo who, from this same coast, would see seven sails where there was but one'. The person who is lolo is described as a 'fabulist' suggesting that he this person also reminisces over the past and especially fables. This reinforces that the place the persona is in within the present holds legends, fables and an ancient history.

The repetition throughout this poem of 'Goodbye 20th century' represents a passing of time from within the present. As the persona also comments 'Goodbye, I-must-leave-you-Dolly, goodbye Lily Marlene'. This suggests something negative about the passing of time, that it will pull away the persona's loved ones.

Within the last stanza the persona reflects his hate for the modern world and uses the natural world positively as something that shouldn't be consumed or industrialised over with. He comments that 'now secular strangers come sealed in Fords and Nissans'. The persona is commenting that the modern world has taken over everything we do and this is why the persona reminisces over the passing of the past because there is no longer any of it left. He comments about the 'congregation of cars' suggesting that we are surrounded by the new. We get a sense that the natural world reminds the persona of the past through the quote 'to this opening estuary, so various, so beautiful, so old'. The persona is commenting that the natural world is not damaged yet, however the congregation of cars are going towards this natural landscape suggesting that everything new will consume the world one day.

This poem links to the poem by Larkin Here, as it uses setting to make a comment about industrialisation and how it is effecting the world and Larkin also uses the natural world to convey this idea similar to how Abse does. It also links to An Arundel Tomb by Larkin as both poems look at the passing of time.