Ambulances

Philip Larkin 'Ambulances' Analysis

Ambulances follows, unsurprisingly, an ambulance as it takes someone on their last journey in life. It talks about the fact that we are all going to eventually die, and although we know this will happen to everyone, we are still afraid of dying.

Themes

The main theme of this poem is the fact that death is inevitable.

"All streets in time are visited."

This is basically saying that everyone will die at some point in their lives, whether this is early on or after a long time. Despite seeming morbid, this is the fate that awaits us all, and Larkin is simply being realistic. The word 'visited' is an interesting one to use, as this usually signifies something good, whereas in actuality whenever we see an ambulance we pray it's not going to someone we know because they often mean death is coming.

"The solving emptiness that lies just under all we do."

This shows that we know that death is coming for us, and this knowledge affects the decisions we make - we assess the risk involved to decide whether it's something that could end our lives sooner rather than later. It could also be referring to the fact that when we die and are buried, it is under ground, so literally under our feet.

Interesting Language

"Children strewn on steps or roads"

The use of strewn in this line makes the children seem careless, as they are too young too think about the risks of playing on roads. Larkin then mentions women in the next line, suggesting that it is their fault for not looking after their children properly.

"It is carried away and stowed"

Larkin addresses the person in the ambulance as 'it', which could be because they are nearing death, when gender is irrelevant because you are just a corpse. The body is also 'stowed' away like an object until it is needed for the funeral. This is further shown in the following quote:

"The unique random blend of families and fashions, there at last begin to loosen."

This shows that who you spent time with and what you liked in life, the things that made you different from the next person, don't matter in death, so maybe aren't so important in life either.

"The fastened doors recede."

 This is talking about the ambulance doors closing and the onlookers watching as the life inside is taken away from the world. It reflects the fact that once you have died, you can't come back to life.