Poem Analysis - Myxomatosis

A Confrontation with Cruelty

Philip Larkin's "Myxomatosis" is a stark and unsettling poem that confronts the brutal reality of suffering and death. The poem centers around a speaker's encounter with a rabbit afflicted with myxomatosis, a viral disease. The tone is initially detached and observational but quickly shifts to one of callous indifference. The poem explores themes of suffering, the powerlessness of the individual in the face of nature's cruelty, and the unsettling ease with which humans can inflict pain.

The Coldness of Control

One of the central themes of "Myxomatosis" is the suffering inflicted upon the rabbit. The opening lines establish the creature's agonizing predicament: "Caught in the center of a soundless field/While hot inexplicable hours go by." The helplessness and confusion are palpable. The phrase "inexplicable hours" suggests a slow, torturous passage of time for the animal. The speaker's question, "What trap is this? Where were its teeth concealed?" reflects the rabbit's bewildered search for understanding in a situation it cannot comprehend. This underscores the arbitrariness of suffering, particularly in the natural world.

Powerlessness and Indifference

The poem powerfully explores the theme of powerlessness in the face of both nature's cruelty and human indifference. The rabbit's inability to escape its fate highlights its vulnerability. The speaker's "sharp reply" and subsequent act of cleaning his stick demonstrate a chilling lack of empathy. The lines "I'm glad I can't explain/Just in what jaws you were to suppurate" reveal a disturbing detachment, suggesting a willful ignorance of the rabbit's pain. This deliberate avoidance of understanding highlights the speaker's capacity to inflict pain without remorse, emphasizing a disturbing power dynamic.

Images of Decay and Denial

The poem is rich with vivid imagery, particularly concerning the decay associated with the disease. The word "suppurate" is particularly potent, conjuring a gruesome image of festering wounds. This image of physical deterioration serves as a stark reminder of mortality. However, the speaker's attempt to rationalize the situation by suggesting the rabbit believed "things would come right again/If you could only keep quite still and wait" reveals a self-deceptive denial of the rabbit's inevitable fate. The rabbit's imagined hope, juxtaposed with the reality of its disease, emphasizes the tragic irony of its situation. Perhaps the stick, a phallic symbol, highlights the speaker's desire for control and dominance over the natural world, even in its most vulnerable state.

A Disturbing Reflection on Humanity

In conclusion, "Myxomatosis" is a deeply unsettling poem that explores the themes of suffering, powerlessness, and human indifference. Larkin uses vivid imagery and a detached tone to create a chilling portrait of the encounter between the speaker and the afflicted rabbit. The poem ultimately serves as a disturbing reflection on humanity's capacity for cruelty and our tendency to distance ourselves from the suffering of others, raising questions about our responsibility towards the natural world and the creatures within it. The poem's impact lies in its unflinching portrayal of pain and the unsettling ease with which we can become complicit in it.