Essay about Autobiography at an Air-Station by Philip Larkin

Autobiography at an Air-Station by Philip Larkin Progress is in the eye of the beholder. Throughout the years society has forced nature out of its life and has instead adopted a new mechanical and industrialized lifestyle. Technology may be deemed as progress by some, where it is thought of as a positive advancement for mankind. Yet technology can also be a hindrance for society, by imposing itself on society and emptying the meaning out of life. In â€Å"Autobiography at an Air-Station,† Philip Larkin conveys his distaste of how society has denounced nature. By employing an ironic tone in the sonnet, Larkin comments on the significance of the sonnet in relation to industrial life. Life has become ironic because it is no longer a†¦show more content†¦But once again he rebels against the rules and society by breaking the ten-syllable count. Though the overall count of the syllables might be the same as a regular sonnet, he varies the syllable count in individual sentences such as in line one, where he has only nine syllables, and line six, where he has eleven syllables. He shows that he is trying to break back into nature. He does not want to follow form, and be a machine that just regurgitates information, without any real thought. Larkin comments on what being an individual in society is worth, and how that worth is lost, because no one thinks for himself or herself anymore. By only changing the syllable count of individual sentences, and not the whole piece of writing, he is able to show that certain people, like him, are able to break out society’s structure. Larking uses the extended metaphor by comparing the air-station to life. Thus the travelers in the air-station become travelers of life. In the sonnet he says that â€Å"in the race for seats/You’re best alone† (line 7-8). These lines symbolize a person in the early stages of his or her life. While a youth, a person feels the need for power, to get ahead. This need derives form the desire to show that he or she exists and can survive by surpassing everyone else around him or her. This quote also refers to the political seats or the positions of power in companies, all of which are part of industrialized society. In life, a person needs toShow MoreRelated The Recurring Theme of Death in the Poetry of Philip Larkin.1366 Words   |  6 PagesPoetry of Philip Larkin. In reading the poetry of Philip Larkin for the first time, one is struck by the characteristically glum atmosphere that pervades most of his poems. The vast majority of his verse is devoted to what is generally taken to be negative aspects of life, such as loneliness and dejection, disappointments, loss, and the terrifying prospect of impending death. Evidently, there are uplifting and humorous sides to his work as well, but for certain reasons Larkin is invariably