ENGLISH - Ignorance by Philip Larkin

Strange to know nothing, never to be sure

Of what is true or right or real,

But forced to qualify or so I feel,

Or Well, it does seem so:

Someone must know.

Strange to be ignorant of the way things work:

Their skill at finding what they need,

Their sense of shape, and punctual spread of seed,

And willingness to change;

Yes, it is strange,

Even to wear such knowledge - for our flesh

Surrounds us with its own decisions -

And yet spend all our life on imprecisions,

That when we start to die

Have no idea why.

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Analysis of ENGLISH - Ignorance by Philip Larkin

Content

An abstract poem which explores our beliefs and knowledge.

Analysis

The word "ignorance" means a lack of knowledge, pig-headedness, stupidity or obliviousness. Larkin's poem questions whether we are all ignorant and of an uncaring nature and how uncertain people actually are throughout their lives.

The word "strange" is repeated to emphasise how odd it is that we claim to have so much knowledge yet actually "know nothing" and how complex the truth can be to understand. There are many different answers to questions, whether they be "true or right or real" and people are never certain "of what is true" as humans are constantly questioning themselves. However, this also highlights Larkin's uncertainty regarding the future and he wants people to question their beliefs.

Tentative phrasing appears at the end of the first stanza  (e.g. "it does seem so") to imply that people have to offer opinions or beliefs even when they know nothing, suggesting an element of stubbornness and pride. Larkin wishes to know the answers and states that "someone must know", however, this is perhaps just a lie people tell themselves to make themselves feel better or safer in the belief that the knowledge is out there.

Processes and objects are personified as adept at "finding what they need"- they are living reminders that we cannot understand everything. Alternatively, the "their" that Larkin refers to may be every other person looking for answers and simply learning to survive. The "spread of seed" is perhaps a reference to the spread of ideas or reproduction and people are willing to "change" what they believe as they are influenced by outside forces.

We "wear" our "knowledge" as a barrier to make ourselves feel secure and the "decisions" of our "flesh" (our actions)  make it seem like we know what we are doing. When people have strong beliefs, they flaunt them yet they are "imprecisions"- we base our lives so fully on things we often cannot prove.

Larkin creates a paradox in the last stanza in that we have "knowledge" but "no idea why". In the end, when death nears, we cannot fully understand death itself and why we had to create beliefs of no substance. As life draws to a close, we have no use for beliefs as the one truth is death . Therefore, Larkin may have meant to convey the idea that belief is futile as everyone claims to know something when they are in fact ignorant. People have learnt to survive by enclosing themselves in obliviousness and Larkin wishes to question this.

Beliefs are not truths but ideas we hold onto for security. They are easily subject to the influence of others. Larkin was ignorant of other's beliefs because they were not concrete. The last line highlights his view that there is no life after death, despite what others believe and Larkin questions whether people make the right life decisions.

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Links

Days, Nothing To Be Said- occupy our time to distract us, all drawing closer to death

Days, Toads Revisited- better to do something with your time

Ignorance, First Sight- lack of knowledge about what is to come, contrast- can be a positive, hopeful future

Ignorance, Water- overcomplicating life, wanting something to believe in

Overall

Larkin understood that people wanted security in their beliefs yet he forces them to question this. He himself was uncertain about what he believed in and was searching for answers just like so many others, hoping for a positive future like that in 'First Sight'. He knew that beliefs could be comforting but he did not want to believe in something fake, overcomplicated or untrue.

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Links with other poems in the collection:-

-Dockery and Son - everyones lives are heading the same way no matter what we do

-Ignorance - we push death to the back of our minds

-First Sight - from the beginning we are doomed

- Toads Revisited - we need work to procratinate until we die

-Days - what's the point in life?