Leaving Cardiff

 

Theme:

 

Within this poem there is a sense of place, change and belonging as Abse describes his feelings towards Cardiff. Cardiff is his identity, and as he leaves his home the peom begins to change and become reminising towards the setting.

 

Content:

 

Abse is leaving Cardiff and talks about what he remembers from it. The setting of the docks and the sea relax him, and Abse is torn between wanting to stay or going so he can't live his life and experience things.

 

Structure:

 

The poem has the rhyme scheme: ABAC, ABCC, ABAB, ABAB, ABAB.

 

Analysis:

 

First/Second stanza:

 

'Evening air' is a sense of ending for Abse, the 'sea-birds drop down to the sea' like the natural cycle of going up and down and repetition. The place is empty, 'docks derelictions' is alliteration that suggests how he feels about leaving, alone, isolated, in ruins.

'White black shapes' - oxymoron, moving away is like being hopeful and pessimistic. It's good but bad. Could be happy, but also scary.

'Furthest star seem near', familiar surroundings like home.

 

Third stanza:

 

Leaving childhood behind, he can't go back. 'My eyes, like spaces, fill' -  crying. 'Pump to my eyes and spill' is powerful, significant that he is leaving, and becomes a life changing decision.

 

Fourth stanza:

 

If he stays in Cardiff he can't be the person he wants to be. The persona starts to doubt himself, and question if he made a conscious decision. 'Made no choice' is a shift, the rhetorical question becoming philosophical, asking why would anyone leave and why did he ever leave.

'Can I be the same man twice' suggests he can't live 2 different lives, and has to leave or go.

 

Fifth stanza:

 

There is the imagery of industrialistation.'Penarth unload and move on', implying he's moving on with his life but things in Cardiff are moving on even though he's going, and when he comes back they would have changed.

 

Links to Larkin:

 

Whitsun Wddings - journey, describes surroundings, on a journey, Larkin isn't as emotionally connected as Abse towards leaving

Dockery and Son - life choices