The Malham Bird

Theme:

This poem is about marriage, and it's relationship with religion. Abse talks about faithfulness, morality and honesty, and the refusal of temptation to keep integrity to ensure that people can keep on route to God's Kingdom. Throughout this journey love will endure anything.

Content:

The persona remembers his first holiday with his wife, reminising on these memories then towards the last stanzas there is a philosophical shift to the Jewish legend of the Malham bird of Eden.

Analysis:

'You a Gentile and I a Jew' - shows that religion and differences don't matter on the subject of love, that love will keep going despite any barriers
'Illicit' - suggestive, means forbidden by law etc. Their illicit holiday implies that they shouldn't be together, and they are breaking the rules
'Hidden' - secrecy, privacy
'Two chalk lines kiss and slowly disappear' - together, nature unites like they do romantically
'Eden' - the Biblical reference implies perfection and creation, the beginning of life. The Malham bird of Eden didn't eat the forbidden fruit and lives forever in paradise unlike the birds that experience the world and suffering. The Malham bird was 'lonely, immortal, forever wishing' but still loyal.
'Closed its eyes resolute' - remained true in the face of temptation and refused to be taken in by what was preferable and everyone else was doing
The other birds are 'singing' in the present, and although they seem happy he keeps to his beliefs, pure and doesn't give in

Links to Larkin:

Whitsun Weddings - newly weds/love