Talking in Bed

Through 'Talking in Bed' Larkin expresses his views about comfortable, intimate, long term relationships, that in his view, lack passion and are destined to fail. Larkin feels it is inevitable that a relationship once intimate will die as it becomes more and more difficult to find things nice and true to say to your partner.

Stanza 1:

• 'Lying together' connotes how Larkin feels a relationship forces you to lie to keep the other happy, and also may suggest he feels they are lying to themselves, as well as showing their close relationship in bed. 
• 'Goes back so far' demonstrates that these relationship is long term, which is why the passion is no longer there. 
• 'An emblem of two people being honest' connotes what the poem is about honesty, Larkin's honest portrayal of relationships, and the way it becomes so hard to be honest to your partner when you have nothing nice to say to them anymore.

Stanza 2:

• Continues to portray the idea that this relationship has been going for a long period as 'time passes'
• 'Time passes silently' suggests to the reader something is wrong as it contrasts with the title 'talking in bed'. It also shows how Larkin thinks this silence is a bad thing.
• 'Builds and disperses' reflects Larkin's view of relationships and the way they are just made and then destroyed.
• This stanza also looks at the 'clouds' and suggests an oncoming storm, linking to the breakup Larkin sees as inevitable. This also reiterate Larkins love for nature, and the way he talks about that rather than the couple reinforces the fact they have nothing to talk about.

Stanza 3:

• 'Dark towns' reiterates Larkin's dislike for urbanisation, reinforced by 'none of this cares for us'. This also suggests they are isolated, which is interesting as although they have each other they appear to feel alone, therefore Larkin is suggesting relationships don't necessarily make you happy.
• 'At this unique distance from isolation' reinforces this, as it suggests relationships trap people.

Stanza 4:

• The last stanza encapsulates Larkin's views about the way that relationships will inevitably end with people not being able to find words 'true' and 'kind' to say to each other. Larkin suggests that these two words do not go together, and Larkin wants to be honest.