Church Going

E510491

"Church Going" is a renowned poem by Philip Larkin that meditates on the fading role of religion and churches in modern secular life.

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Label Occurrences
Church Going canonical 1

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf poem
author Philip Larkin NERFINISHED
closingLine A serious house on serious earth it is
collection The Less Deceived NERFINISHED
concerns cultural role of religious buildings
decline of organized religion
future function of churches
containsMotif bicycling to the church
historical continuity
ritual gestures
silence and emptiness
countryOfOrigin United Kingdom
criticalReputation one of Philip Larkin's most important poems
widely anthologized
firstPublicationYear 1954
firstPublishedIn The Less Deceived NERFINISHED
form lyric poem
genre meditative poem
philosophical poem
influencedDiscussionOf religion in postwar British poetry
language English
lineCount 61
literaryMovement The Movement NERFINISHED
literaryPeriod postwar literature
meter loosely iambic pentameter
narrativePerspective first person
notableWork Church Going NERFINISHED
openingLine Once I am sure there's nothing going on
publisherOfFirstCollection The Marvell Press NERFINISHED
rhymeScheme variable
setting an empty country church
speakerDescription skeptical but curious visitor
stanzaCount 7
studiedIn A-level English syllabi
modern British poetry courses
subjectMatter visiting an empty church and reflecting on its future
theme loss of faith
meaning of churches in modern life
religion
ritual and habit
search for meaning
secularization
skepticism
time and transience
tone contemplative
ironic
meditative

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Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Philip Larkin signatureWork Church Going