I agree with the nihilistic reading/meaning of the high window. That was my take from my first reading. I need to ruminate over this one for a day or two and see if my interpretation changes.
I've been thinking about the high windows image with a question in mind that i'll get to soon. What causes the image to spring to the speaker's mind is his generation going down the long slide to happiness like birds, and generally this break with the past that opens up new opportunities for happiness. Theres always a downward direction having to do with going to happiness in the poem, so the windows, to me, act as a kind of limiting force that prevents (or protects) the birds from reaching into their natural domain. But the question is - is this worth it? If we're going down the long slide to happiness, why should we care about flying into an endless sky that has nothing for us? If we're happy and have freedom to move, why care about reaching new heights? So on one hand, these windows house us in happiness (with room to fly around and catch the sun) , but on the other they do confine and limit us while allowing us to see beyond them - and there are no birds beyond them. From there i think people can project their own judgements onto the poem. I hope somebody can add to my interpretation. Also, Adrian, i think you'd love Vers de Societe by Larkin and get a good laugh out of it. Most of the high windows collection is at worst pretty good. Interesting discussion!
I like your interpretation, it made me go back and re-read the poem. Is paradise something earthy, like Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights, where all inhibitions are thrown off and all one’s desires are indulged, or is it something higher - birds have wings because they are meant to fly not slide - are we meant for something higher, even though we cannot know what it is, because we have the capacity to do so?
@@denisechristiansen4633 would the slide be a way of descending into hedonism when we should be achieving things? Not completely certain, but i think that could stand up
I feel the poem is about removing the guilt of sex. The poem being about an older sexually repressed man finding divinity in the sexual freeness/happiness of the youth. He's been sexually repressed by the church and is struck by a since of awe how the new younger generation is living guilt free with pills and a diaphragm. He then wonders what did his generation break free from? The ever watching God of deeds, thoughts, and eternal damnation. Which leads him to removing all guilt and judgement and that feels divine.
I agree with the nihilistic reading/meaning of the high window. That was my take from my first reading. I need to ruminate over this one for a day or two and see if my interpretation changes.
I've been thinking about the high windows image with a question in mind that i'll get to soon. What causes the image to spring to the speaker's mind is his generation going down the long slide to happiness like birds, and generally this break with the past that opens up new opportunities for happiness. Theres always a downward direction having to do with going to happiness in the poem, so the windows, to me, act as a kind of limiting force that prevents (or protects) the birds from reaching into their natural domain.
But the question is - is this worth it? If we're going down the long slide to happiness, why should we care about flying into an endless sky that has nothing for us? If we're happy and have freedom to move, why care about reaching new heights? So on one hand, these windows house us in happiness (with room to fly around and catch the sun) , but on the other they do confine and limit us while allowing us to see beyond them - and there are no birds beyond them. From there i think people can project their own judgements onto the poem.
I hope somebody can add to my interpretation. Also, Adrian, i think you'd love Vers de Societe by Larkin and get a good laugh out of it. Most of the high windows collection is at worst pretty good. Interesting discussion!
I like your interpretation, it made me go back and re-read the poem. Is paradise something earthy, like Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights, where all inhibitions are thrown off and all one’s desires are indulged, or is it something higher - birds have wings because they are meant to fly not slide - are we meant for something higher, even though we cannot know what it is, because we have the capacity to do so?
@@denisechristiansen4633 would the slide be a way of descending into hedonism when we should be achieving things? Not completely certain, but i think that could stand up
Theog OlGoldmo Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. In a way, if hedonism is thought of the be all end all of existence.
I feel the poem is about removing the guilt of sex. The poem being about an older sexually repressed man finding divinity in the sexual freeness/happiness of the youth. He's been sexually repressed by the church and is struck by a since of awe how the new younger generation is living guilt free with pills and a diaphragm.
He then wonders what did his generation break free from? The ever watching God of deeds, thoughts, and eternal damnation.
Which leads him to removing all guilt and judgement and that feels divine.
❤ what a magical poem
An interesting poem to read alongside this piece is Solar, also by Larkin