DenaliH

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"Church Going" by Philip Larkin

"the holy end" - line 6 - the altar; also disrespectful "God" - line 8 - used sarcastically/in vain. Against the Ten Commandments. "snigger" - line 16 - menacing "Irish sixpence" - line 17 - a virtually worthless coin. "addict," "whiff" - line 43 - sounds like a drug addict "cross" - line 47 - Although literally meaning piece of land in this context, a cross is the symbol for Christianity. "shell" - line 52 - only a physical place; the meaning comes from the people. "barn" - line 52 - Disrespectful.
 * T:** Attending church/mass; "going" could also be used colloquially to mean falling apart as in "going downhill." "Church going" can be used as an adjective to describe people who are Christians.
 * P:** A man who is cycling around the English countryside stops to visit an old church, something he often does. He walks around inside, viewing everything with a cynical eye. He wonders what will happen to churches in the future, once people have stopped using them for religious purposes. He concludes that they will always have spiritual meaning, if not religious. After leaving a nearly worthless coin in the collection box, he leaves.
 * C:** Diction: "little books"- line 4 - refers to the bibles or hymnals on the pews; disrespectful

Imagery: An old church, though taken care of, surrounded by a cemetery. The speaker imagines that later, churches will be abandoned and overgrown.

Language: "superstition, like belief" - line 34 - The speaker considers these two to be the same, indicated both by his comparison here and also by his disrespectful behavior.


 * A.** Although the speaker has no or little respect for the church as a religious center, he feels a compulsion to visit them because of the serious, spiritual nature of the place in general. He shows disrespect in the way that he regards the hymnals and the altar. He feels the need to make a contribution to the building, but further insults by giving a worthless coin. His almost unconscious respect for the spirituality of the place is shown when he removes his "cycle-clips" though he is not required to.


 * S.** The speaker begins in a cynical tone, describing the church with a subdued bitterness. In the fourth stanza, it shifts to a speculative tone. He thinks on the future of the churches. In the sixth stanza, he thinks about himself and the attitude he feels toward the building. In the final stanza, he reflects on the feelings peolpe in the future will hold towards the church, stripped of religion.


 * T.** The theme of "Church Going" is the speaker's internal debate between viewing the church as a center for religion or simply as a serious place to reflect.


 * T.** "Church Going" ironically refers to how the speaker visits churches often, though he doesn't consider himself religious.