Analysis of Dublinesque

Philip Larkin 1922 (Coventry) – 1985 (Hull)



Down stucco sidestreets,
Where light is pewter
And afternoon mist
Brings lights on in shops
Above race-guides and rosaries,
A funeral passes.

The hearse is ahead,
But after there follows
A troop of streetwalkers
In wide flowered hats,
Leg-of-mutton sleeves,
And ankle-length dresses.

There is an air of great friendliness,
As if they were honouring
One they were fond of;
Some caper a few steps,
Skirts held skilfully
(Someone claps time),

And of great sadness also.
As they wend away
A voice is heard singing
Of Kitty, or Katy,
As if the name meant once
All love, all beauty.


Scheme AXXAAA XAAAAA ABXAXX AXBCAC
Poetic Form
Metre 1101 11110 0011 11101 01110100 010010 01101 110110 0111 01101 11101 010110 111111100 11101 11011 110011 111 111 0111010 11101 011110 110110 110111 11110
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 553
Words 99
Sentences 4
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 19
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 114
Words per stanza (avg) 25
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Submitted by RobertHaigh on July 09, 2020

Modified on March 14, 2023

29 sec read
150

Philip Larkin

Philip Larkin was born in 1922 and grew up in Coventry, England. He earned his BA from St John's College, Oxford, and finished with First Class Honours in English. In 1955 he became Librarian of the Brynmor Jones Library at the University of Hull, a post he held until his death in 1985. He was the best-loved poet of his generation, and the recipient of innumerable honours, including the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. more…

All Philip Larkin poems | Philip Larkin Books

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