The Large Cool Store - Larkin

The Large Cool Store is a poem by Larkin that covers ideas to do with advertisement and the working class. From within the first stanza it seems apparent that Larkin is looking down upon working class members within society. The large cool store sells 'cheap clothing'. This is clothing of the working class so it seems as though Larkin is almost sneering at the working class.

Within the second stanza this idea of Larkin sneering at the working class is again reinforced through the quote 'who leave at dawn low terraced houses'. The reference to 'dawn' implies that the working class are always working to enable them to live. The reference to 'low terraced houses' implies a very stereotypical view of where the working class live. However, another reading would be that Larkin may feel sympathetic towards the working class as they live in small houses and are constantly working. The reference to 'heaps of shirts and trousers' may imply a domestic role of working class women and again is a very stereotypical view of them. We understand through this that Larkin is criticising a certain aspect of society.

The listing device within stanza three conveys a general list of crap useless clothing. The 'lemon, sapphire, moss-green, rose bri-nylon, baby dolls and shorties' may convey the idea that there will always be a constant cycle of working class people who will be willing to buy this cheap clothing. The word 'clusters' later on in this stanza reinforces Larkin's idea that the working class in general come in a great number. Larkin also seems to convey the view that the working class don't deserve to be on this world through the quote 'They share that world'. This quote is used by Larkin to exclude members of the working class, they are clearly not part of Larkin's world and are not meant to be.

Within the last stanza we see that the working class also have desires like everyone else in the world and are therefore equal in the ways in which they desire things. Larkin describes how 'unearthly love is'. One reading of this could be that again he is looking down upon them, however it also suggests that they have desires in life too however this is just a facade as it is hard for the working class to achieve what they want to in life because of their background. This is also reinforced later on within the stanza where they have 'young unreal wishes'. Larkin realises that some of them can't have a life like him, which therefore triggers him to feel sympathy towards them. Larkin realises that each and everyone of us feels desire within our lives. There is also evidence that Larkin is misogynistic towards women in this poem where he directly quotes that women are 'unearthly'. There is also a description of the desires of the working class being 'synthetic' which is a horrible description of them conveying the idea that they can't possibly come true.