Modes of Identification and Delimitation in Philip Larkin's Poems "Mr. Bleaney" and "Dockery and Son‪"‬

Like many of Philip Larkin`s poems, Mr. Bleaney and Dockery and Son present a rather depressing view of life and its meaning. By means of comparing themselves to other characters, the poems` respective speakers willingly or unwillingly tell us something about their own lives. Both poems deal with such opposing themes as solitude and sociability, choice and fate. The paper at hand will try to present similarities and differences between the two poems. Special emphasis will be put on the reasons for the speakers` identification with Mr. Bleaney and Dockery. Accordingly, the first step will be to give a sketch of the poems` content and communicative situation. After an introduction to the two poems, the way different essential themes are presented in the poems will be compared.