Poem Analysis - For Sidney Bechet

A Sonic Escape: Introduction to Larkin's Tribute

Philip Larkin's "For Sidney Bechet" is a vibrant and evocative poem that celebrates the transformative power of music. Through vivid imagery and a passionate tone, Larkin captures the way Bechet's saxophone transports the listener to a romanticized version of New Orleans. The poem moves from a description of the music's effect on others to a deeply personal experience of liberation and joy. The overall mood is one of ecstatic release, a finding of solace and affirmation in art.

The Allure of a False Paradise: Bechet's Impact on the Masses

The poem initially explores how Bechet's music affects a broader audience. Larkin suggests that the music conjures a "legendary Quarter," a fantasized version of New Orleans filled with romance and shared joy. He highlights how people use the music to construct elaborate fantasies, licensing "mute glorious Storyvilles." This suggests that the music provides an escape, a way to "pretend their fads." Larkin also notes the scholars who are "wrapped up in personnels," oblivious to the external world, using the music as a kind of intellectual retreat, a kind of escapism that is just as intense. The imagery of "sporting-house girls like circus tigers (priced / Far above rubies)" hints at the commercialized and perhaps superficial nature of these imagined worlds.

Finding Personal Resonance: Music as Affirmation

The poem shifts in tone when Larkin turns to his personal experience of Bechet's music. He reveals that "On me your voice falls as they say love should, / Like an enormous yes." This powerful metaphor conveys a feeling of profound affirmation and acceptance. Bechet's music acts as a force of love, dissolving doubt and negativity. The personal connection is immediate and overwhelming. This creates a sense of intimacy and contrast with the somewhat detached observations of the first two stanzas.

The "Crescent City" Within: Music as a Sanctuary

Larkin uses the "Crescent City" as a symbolic representation of a personal sanctuary, a place where Bechet's music is not just heard but understood. "My Crescent City / Is where your speech alone is understood," he writes, emphasizing the unique and profound connection he feels to the music. It's a place where the music is "greeted as the natural noise of good," suggesting that it embodies inherent positivity and goodness. The image of the music "scattering long-haired grief and scored pity" further reinforces its power to heal and uplift. The phrase "long-haired grief" and "scored pity" act as personifications in this line, giving those intangible emotions a physical being that can be pushed away.

Unlocking Joy: Poem's Summary

In conclusion, "For Sidney Bechet" is a celebration of music's power to transport, transform, and ultimately affirm. While some may use it to construct elaborate fantasies, for Larkin, Bechet's saxophone becomes a source of profound personal resonance, a "yes" to life. The poem beautifully captures the way music can create a personal sanctuary, a space where grief and pity are banished by the "natural noise of good." Perhaps the poem suggests that true understanding and joy can be found not in the escapist fantasies of others, but in the deeply personal connection we forge with art.