Abse- Two Photographs
This poem is about the persona having two grandmothers, they are both very different yet he loves them both the same despite their faults. Annabella is described as "How slim she appears, how vulnerable.Pretty." This description is very feminine, however Doris is described more unfeminine "How portly she looks, formidable. Handsome." There are also vivid lists of both women that show a definite difference between them, Doris- "feasted- pacy, pushy, would never pray", and Annabella- "fasted- pious, passive". The family was Jewish but I don't think that Doris followed the religion as the persona recalls her eating pork. Abse's poems are quite different to Larkins as Abse writes his inner thoughts, his poems are bringing people back to life that exist in his memory not in others whilst Larkin does not. Furthermore they are also different because Larkin and Abse both have different attitudes and feelings towards women. This poem can be linked to many of Larkins poems such as Self's the man, as the persona is listing the differences between himself and Arnold. Also Love songs in age and reference back as the photograph in this poem triggers his memory of his grandmothers and their differences like in love songs in age as the music that is played triggers memories of the past, reference back is to do with a memory of the persona's.