Coming by Philip Larkin

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Coming

Philip Larkin

On longer evenings,
Light, chill and yellow,
Bathes the serene
Foreheads of houses.
A thrush sings,
Laurel-surrounded
In the deep bare garden,
Its fresh-peeled voice
Astonishing the brickwork.
It will be spring soon,
It will be spring soon —
And I, whose childhood
Is a forgotten boredom,
Feel like a child
Who comes on a scene
Of adult reconciling,
And can understand nothing
But the unusual laughter,
And starts to be happy.

 Philip Larkin’s "Coming" (from The Less Deceived, 1955) is a contemplative poem that explores themes of renewal, fleeting joy, and the contrast between human experience and the natural world. Through its imagery, structure, and tone, the poem presents a complex meditation on transience and the elusive nature of happiness.

Themes & Analysis

1. Seasonal Renewal vs. Human Stagnation
   The poem begins with a vivid depiction of spring’s arrival:
   "On longer evenings, / Light, chill and yellow, / Bathes the serene / Foreheads of houses."
   The natural world is in a state of transformation—birds sing, the sunset lingers—yet this renewal contrasts with human stasis. Larkin suggests that while nature cycles effortlessly, human emotional fulfillment remains uncertain.

2. Ephemeral Joy
   The thrush’s song is described as "a shock / Of joy", an almost violent burst of emotion that seems to transcend ordinary experience. However, this joy is fleeting, "fresh-peeled" and unfamiliar, implying that such moments are rare and unsustainable for humans.

3. Ambiguity & Paradox
   The closing lines—"It will be spring soon, / And I, whose childhood / Is a forgotten boredom, / Feel like a child / Who comes on a scene / Of adult reconciling, / And can understand nothing / But the unusual laughter, / And starts to be happy."—introduce a paradox.

   • The speaker feels a childlike wonder at the "unusual laughter" of adults (perhaps symbolic of nature’s joy), yet this happiness is tinged with incomprehension.

   • The "forgotten boredom" of childhood suggests that even past happiness is remembered as dull, complicating the poem’s emotional tone.

4. Larkin’s Pessimism & Irony
   Larkin, often associated with pessimism, undercuts the poem’s apparent optimism. The joy described is not the speaker’s own but observed from a distance, reinforcing human alienation from natural harmony. The final "happiness" is tentative, almost accidental.

Form & Style

• Free Verse with Musicality: The poem lacks a strict rhyme scheme but uses assonance and rhythm (e.g., "serene / Foreheads") to create a lyrical flow, mirroring the thrush’s song.

• Imagery of Light & Sound: The "yellow" light and the thrush’s "shrill" song evoke sensory richness, contrasting with the speaker’s muted emotional state.

Critical Perspectives

• Ecocritical Reading: The poem can be seen as critiquing human disconnection from nature—the thrush’s joy is instinctive, while humans struggle to grasp it.

• Existential Lens: The speaker’s fleeting happiness reflects existentialist ideas of transient meaning in an indifferent universe.

Conclusion

"Coming" is a nuanced exploration of the tension between natural cycles and human emotional inertia. While it captures a moment of beauty, Larkin’s characteristic skepticism lingers—the joy is real but ungraspable, leaving the speaker (and reader) in a state of ambiguous wonder. The poem’s power lies in its ability to evoke both hope and resignation simultaneously.