“Church Going”

Philip Larkin 1922-1985

Philip Larkin Introduction
Church Going Publication, Meter, Rhyme In
Church Going Themes and setting
Church Going Summary Urdu and Hindi
Church Going line by line Analysis
Church Going Notes PDF
Brunette Coleman was a pseudonym used by the poet and writer Philip Larkin.
In 1943, towards the end of his time as an undergraduate at St John's College,
Oxford, he wrote several works of fiction.
Born: August 9, 1922, Coventry, United Kingdom
Died: December 2, 1985, Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom
The poem “Church Going” was published in his poetic collection “The Less
Deceived” in 1954 (Larkin, 2012). This poem deals with the question about the
importance of the holy place like Church in the life of modern man.
Mostly Iambic Pentameter with Regular Rhyme
The poem consists of seven stanzas of nine lines each.
Larkin uses ababcaece, an interesting rhyme scheme
"Church Going" uses very a good deal of iambic pentameter and a regular rhyme
scheme.
“Church Going” Setting
The setting is an empty church, apparently located amid the "suburb scrub"
(humble suburban landscape) through which the speaker has been cycling.

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Themes
Religion
Spirituality
Man and the Natural World
Time
The Desire for Human Connection
Religion
The Established Church
The Need to Worship
The Ceremony of Ritual
The Future of the Church
Superstition
What is the theme of the poem Church Going?
The primary theme of the poem—clear from its title, "Church Going"—is religion. The
speaker is not a religious person, and he takes a dismissive, even disdainful, attitude
toward religious belief
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Text of the Poem Line By Line Explanation

Once I am sure there's nothing going on ‘Church Going’ begins with the speaker describing, through initial action
phrases, his entering into a place. In the first two lines it is unclear to the
I step inside, letting the door thud shut.
reader where exactly this speaker is and what is so important about making
Another church: matting, seats, and stone, sure, “there’s nothing going on.” The reader might ask, what is this place
And little books; sprawlings of flowers, cut that it needs to be empty for one to enter? What could have been “going
For Sunday, brownish now; some brass and stuff on?” The speaker checks to make sure the structure is clear and steps
inside. He mentions the fact that the door closes with a “thud” behind him.
Up at the holy end; the small neat organ;
It is both sealing him into the space, and keeping the exterior world out. If
And a tense, musty, unignorable silence, one had not assumed the identity of the structure from the title, the next
Brewed God knows how long. Hatless, I take off line makes known to the reader that the speaker is exploring a church.
My cycle-clips in awkward reverence, Immediately it becomes clear why the space needed to be empty so that he
. could explore inside it. There is an important word mentioned in this
section that changes the feeling of the poem, “Another.” This is not the first
time that he has entered into an abandoned, or simply empty, church. The
speaker glances around and notices all the items that are consistent
throughout all the churches that he has visited. There are books, and sets,
and “stone.” He is unsurprised by these sights. He also takes in the fact that
there is some “brass and stuff / Up at the holy end.” This mundane way of
referring to the altar at the front of the church says a lot about the speaker.
He does not hold any reverence or respect for the space he is in. Amongst
all the physical things he notices, he also feels an “unignorable silence” that
is overwhelming in the space. It seems to the speaker that the church has
been absent of people for quite a long time.
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Text of the Poem Line By Line Explanation
Move forward, run my hand around the font. The speaker moves “forward” to the front of the church and
From where I stand, the roof looks almost new- “run[s]” his hand over the pews. Once he has made it to the
Cleaned or restored? Someone would know: I don't. front he looks around and notices what seem to be complete
Mounting the lectern, I peruse a few repairs and restorations done to the roof. This is a curious
fact about the space as it is so devoid of people. There is no
Hectoring large-scale verses, and pronounce
one there to ask why this is the case.
"Here endeth" much more loudly than I'd meant.
The echoes snigger briefly. Back at the door The speaker continues his journey through this religious
I sign the book, donate an Irish sixpence, space and takes to reading from the Bible. He speaks a few
Reflect the place was not worth stopping for. “large-scale verses” in an increased volume, spreading the
words around the space. His projected voice comes back to
him in an echo.

This ends his tour of the church and he departs after leaving
an “Irish sixpence,” an incredibly small amount of money, in
the donation box. He comes to the conclusion that this place
was not worth visiting.

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Text of the Poem Line By Line Explanation
Yet stop I did: in fact I often do, The speaker seems to have some kind of inner
And always end much at a loss like this, conflict about his attraction to churches. He knows,
Wondering what to look for; wondering, too, and knew, that there would not be anything new
When churches fall completely out of use inside, but he stopped anyway. This is not unusual
What we shall turn them into, if we shall for him. He “often” does it and winds up in this
keep same mental space. The man is frequently entering
A few cathedrals chronically on show, into the churches, searching through their religious
Their parchment, plate, and pyx in locked objects, and then leaving unsatisfied. He does not
cases, yet know what he is looking for but is always left
And let the rest rent-free to rain and sheep. with one specific question.
Shall we avoid them as unlucky places?
He is curious about what the church will be like, or
what the human race will utilize all the churches
for when the very last believer is gone. When they
have fallen “completely out of use” will they be
avoided “as unlucky places?” Or will the “sheep”
have full rein over their interiors?

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Text of the Poem Line By Line Explanation
Or, after dark, will dubious women In the fourth stanza of ‘Church Going’, the speaker
come continues his contemplation of what the churches will
To make their children touch a become when all the religiously devoted have passed
particular stone; on. One idea the speaker has about the fate of these
Pick simples for a cancer; or on some places is the continued existence of their power. He
Advised night see walking a dead one? considers the possibility that in the future people will
Power of some sort or other will go on still come to them for a variety of spiritual reasons.
In games, in riddles, seemingly at Mothers might bring their children to “touch a particular
random; stone” for luck, or perhaps people will come to see the
But superstition, like belief, must die, dead “walking.”
And what remains when disbelief has He knows that “Power of some sort will go on” even if
gone? the traditional religious context is lost. The
Grass, weedy pavement, brambles, “superstition” he knows will surround the place “must
buttress, sky, die” as well. One day, even the “disbelief” of the
superstitions will be lost. All that the building will be is
“Grass…brambles, buttress, sky.” It will be no more
than its walls.

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Text of the Poem Line By Line Explanation
A shape less recognizable each week, As time passes this conglomeration of architectural elements will
A purpose more obscure. I wonder who fall further into disrepair. It will become “less recognizable” as the
Will be the last, the very last, to seek days move forward until its original purpose is completely
This place for what it was; one of the crew unknown. The speaker embraces a new question in this stanza. He
is considering who the very last believer or pilgrim, or seeker of
That tap and jot and know what rood-lofts
truth will be who enters the building. Will this person even
were? comprehend where he or she is? What, he wonders, will this man or
Some ruin-bibber, randy for antique, woman think as the final remnants of a dead religion?
Or Christmas-addict, counting on a whiff The last person, he assumes, will be “one of the crew” who knows
Of gown-and-bands and organ-pipes and what a “rood-loft” is. This is a reference to what is more commonly
myrrh? known as a rood screen. It is a feature of late medieval church
Or will he be my representative, architecture that was situated between the chancel and nave at the
front of the church.
In the final lines of this stanza, the speaker contemplates who this
person is. Will they be a “Christmas-addict” or someone who is
there solely to seek out “organ-pipes and myrrh,” and all the
religious ephemera of the church? Lastly, he considers the option
that the seeker will be as is he, someone who is “uninformed” and
unclear on the purpose of religion.

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Text of the Poem Line By Line Explanation
Bored, uninformed, knowing the ghostly silt As ‘Church Going’ begins to conclude the
Dispersed, yet tending to this cross of ground speaker continues his prospective
Through suburb scrub because it held unspilt description of who the last visitor of the
So long and equably what since is found church will be. This person might be as he
Only in separation – marriage, and birth, is, curious about the place because of its
And death, and thoughts of these – for whom was long-lasting nature. It has “held unsplit” for
built so long, one might wonder what has
This special shell? For, though I've no idea allowed it to survive. The onlooker might
What this accoutred frowsty barn is worth, think on further in the same vein as he,
It pleases me to stand in silence here; wondering what the “frosty barn is worth”
and how, without knowing its worth, it can
please one to “stand in silence here.”

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Text of the Poem Line By Line Explanation
A serious house on serious earth it is, The final stanza of ‘Church Going’ returns to the speaker’s own
In whose blent air all our compulsions thoughts, he has finished contemplating what could be and resumes
meet, his own present musings. Up until this point, the reader might be
Are recognised, and robed as destinies. under the impression that the speaker holds no real regard for religion
or the true structure of the church. This is quickly dismissed with the
And that much never can be obsolete,
first line of this stanza. He states that the church is, “A serious house
Since someone will forever be surprising on serious earth.” It has a true and worthy purpose and should not be
A hunger in himself to be more serious, made fun of. It is a place where all the “compulsions” or impulses of
And gravitating with it to this ground, human beings meet.
Which, he once heard, was proper to grow Here, the truth of human existence is “recognized” and celebrated.
wise in, The fact of this, he thinks, should not ever become “obsolete.” It is
If only that so many dead lie round. important enough to be remembered forever. The church will
“forever” bring out a “hunger” is one that cannot be discovered
through any other means. The discovery of “serious[ness]” will
remain with one until the end. A man or woman who has rediscovered
something in themselves will take it with them to “this ground.” They
will return to the churchyard and the place where “so many dead lie
round.”

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Summary of the poem.
The poem begins with the speaker entering into a building the reader later
discovers is a church. He is not sure why exactly he wants to be there, and is
even more confused by what he sees inside. He has seen many altars, pews,
and bibles before and does not feel any type of reverence towards them. The
speaker reads briefly from the Bible and exits.
Upon leaving the church he contemplates what the building represents and
what it will mean when all the believers are long dead. He pictures the very
last explorer of the building and wonders whether he or she will be like him,
curious but emotionless.
‘Church Going’ concludes with the speaker deciding that no matter what the
building might mean, it is important for humanity that churches be
maintained. He sees them as being places of coming together and acceptance
of one’s common humanity with the rest of the world.
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