I haven’t read any of the articles for Larkin’s centenary. They all looked boring. But I find him un-ignorable, so I have written a close reading of The Whitsun Weddings as a bonus essay this week. This is longer and more detailed than usual. Normal weekly service will resume on Tuesday.
As to your "Critic" article on brutalism, I read this morning that the city of Detroit is about to spend $270 million to tear up and green over a mile-long interstate highway. Could the gherkin not gain from the same approach?
"But right now, the weddings are in the sun and he is in the shade, overlooked".
Interesting. I always read it the other way around, the wedding parties are in the shade of the platform awning, and the bright sun beyond obscures them. Especially as he is so absorbed in the sunny day, per the preceding stanza.
(Perhaps though this is because I am from Australia where the sun is that much stronger and people would always choose to stand in the shade. )
Fine piece on Larkin.
As to your "Critic" article on brutalism, I read this morning that the city of Detroit is about to spend $270 million to tear up and green over a mile-long interstate highway. Could the gherkin not gain from the same approach?
Loved this, thank you
"But right now, the weddings are in the sun and he is in the shade, overlooked".
Interesting. I always read it the other way around, the wedding parties are in the shade of the platform awning, and the bright sun beyond obscures them. Especially as he is so absorbed in the sunny day, per the preceding stanza.
(Perhaps though this is because I am from Australia where the sun is that much stronger and people would always choose to stand in the shade. )