Poem Analysis - I Have Started To Say

A Breathless Realization of Time

Philip Larkin's "I Have Started To Say" is a short, introspective poem grappling with the speaker's growing awareness of time's relentless march. The poem opens with a matter-of-fact observation about language use, quickly escalating into a more profound and slightly unsettling meditation on mortality. The tone is initially conversational, almost casual, but it shifts to a more apprehensive and philosophical reflection as the speaker confronts the finite nature of life. There is a sense of mild shock and acceptance woven throughout, creating a feeling of poignant contemplation.

The Weight of Elapsed Years

The poem's central theme is undoubtedly mortality. The speaker's casual phrasing – "A quarter of a century" or "thirty years back" – highlights the significant portion of their life that is already over. This realization isn't presented with dramatic angst, but rather with a quiet acknowledgment. The shift from casually noting time passing to the realization that "All that's left to happen / Is some deaths (my own included)" underscores the poem's focus on the inevitability of death as the remaining significant event.

Falling Through an Empty Sky

The image of "falling and recovering / In huge gesturing loops / Through an empty sky" is a powerful symbol of the speaker's reaction to this realization. This imagery suggests a feeling of disorientation and a lack of control. The "empty sky" could represent the vast, unknowable future, or perhaps the perceived emptiness of existence as one approaches death. The "huge gesturing loops" imply a frantic, yet ultimately futile, attempt to grasp or alter the course of time. This image also highlights the passing of time as a theme as the speaker falls and recovers in loops, which are a repeating pattern indicative of a passage of time.

Order and Manner

The poem's concluding lines, "Their order, and their manner, / Remain to be learnt," introduce an element of uncertainty. The speaker accepts the inevitability of death, but the details surrounding it remain a mystery. This acceptance isn't necessarily peaceful or resigned, but rather a curious observation. There's a hint of philosophical inquiry in the speaker's acknowledgment that the "order" and "manner" of death are something to be "learnt," suggesting a desire to understand or perhaps even control the final chapter of their life. Is there an inherent yearning for knowledge or control, or is it simply an observation of the unknown?

A Concise Reflection on Life's End

"I Have Started To Say" is a concise yet deeply resonant meditation on time and mortality. Through simple language and striking imagery, Larkin captures the unsettling yet strangely peaceful realization that life is finite. The poem's significance lies in its ability to articulate a universal human experience – the awareness of one's own mortality – in a way that is both personal and broadly relatable. The final lines, focusing on the unknown "order" and "manner" of death, leave the reader contemplating the mysteries of life and the inevitability of its end.