Q: How does Larkin employ imagery and symbolism in “An Arundel Tomb” to convey the theme of timelessness and the enduring nature of love?
“An Arundel Tomb” was written in 1956 by the British poet Philip Larkin. It was Included as the final poem in his 1964
collection The Whitsun Weddings, and is also one of his another best known
works. It reflects on the enduring image of a medieval couple’s effigies
holding hands, contemplating the nature of love and how it is perceived across
time. In January 1956, Larkin takes a short vacation on England’s South Coast, during which he visited Chichester Cathedral. In the cathedral, he saw a monument to the
fourteenth-century earl of Arundel and his wife that showed them lying together
hand in Hand.
This image was the inspiration for “An Arundel Tomb,” which Larkin began soon after his return to his job as
librarian at Hull University. The poem was finished on February 20, 1956. Larkin contributed to The Daily Telegraph as its Jazz critic from
1961 to 1971, with his articles gathered in All What Jazz: A Record Diary 1961–71 (1985), and edited The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse (1973). Neil Roberts shows, “Larkin is acknowledging that art has the power to transform The
ordinary into the transcendent… The poem itself becomes a kind of tomb,
preserving An idea of love against the erosions of time.”
It is a poignant exploration of the themes of
love, mortality, and the passage of time. Set against the backdrop of a medieval tomb
in Chichester Cathedral, the poem invites readers to contemplate the
enduring nature of love and the inevitability of death. Larkin presents the image of the tomb with its effigies of a nobleman and his
lady, their hands clasped in a gesture of eternal unity. The poem’s opening
lines capture the solemnity of the scene: “Side by side, their faces blurred--/ The earl and countess lie
in stone.” This
line encapsulates the timeless quality of the couple’s bond, even as the
physical markers of their identities fade over centuries.
As the poem progresses, Larkin delves into the complexities of human relationships and the ways in
which they are memorialized. He observes how the passage of time has eroded the
details of the couple’s features, leaving only vague impressions of their
former selves: “Wearing on
their heads / The sort of balding, tousled hair / That children’s hands in
chapel-rings / Tend to nuzzle into.” This line highlights the tender intimacy
of the couple’s connection, which endures despite the ravages of decay. It also
underscores the idea that love transcends physical appearance and is rooted in
deeper emotional bonds.
In the poem, Larkin juxtaposes the permanence of the tomb with the transient nature of
human existence. He reflects on the inevitability of mortality and the
fleetingness of life’s joys and sorrows: “Time has transfigured them into / Untruth. The stone fidelity /
They hardly meant has come to be / Their final blazon.” This line encapsulates the theme of
mortality and the ways in which time distorts our perceptions of the past. It
also suggests that our efforts to memorialize love may ultimately be in vain,
as even the most enduring monuments are subject to the ravages of time.
In its final stanza, “An Arundel Tomb” offers a poignant meditation on the legacy of love and the enduring
power of memory. Larkin observes how the couple’s effigies, though
weathered by time, continue to inspire awe and reverence: “Our almost-instinct almost true: / What will survive of us is
love.” It emphasizes the poem’s central theme,
affirming that while our physical forms may fade, the love we share with others
endures beyond the constraints of mortality. In this way, “An Arundel Tomb” offers a timeless reflection on the enduring power of love and the
ways in which it shapes our lives, even in the face of death.
Throughout the poem, this tomb belongs to an
earl and countess from the 14th
century. The poem
is told from the perspective of a 20th Century observer who lives in an “unarmorial age.” The juxtaposition of the
static, unaging stone effigies with the transient nature of human existence
raises questions about mortality. Larkin suggests love may be the only part of our
human experience capable of transcending death. Moreover, an English poet, John Wain expresses, “In ‘An Arundel Tomb,’ Larkin finds A way of expressing his
deeply skeptical view of human relationships without the usual Bitterness… The
poem is a triumph of art over the unhappiness that prompted it.”
In conclusion, Larkin’s poem “An Arundel
Tomb” uses the
image of an ancient sculptural tomb to contemplate profound about love, mortality, and the enduring power of art. While Acknowledging the “frailties” and compromises that often afflict human bonds, Larkin finds solace in the way this tomb sculpture has become an everlasting “blazon” representing love’s ability to outlive us. In the end, Larkin suggests that while our earthly experiences of love may be imperfect,
it is the idea and artistic representation of ideal love that will truly “survive of us.” According to Stephen Regan (Critic and editor of Larkin’s writings): “The Poem is a meditation on the paradox that the idea of
enduring love has the power to Outlast love itself… The knight and lady, who
are dead, seem more alive than the living.”
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