Look at two poems by Larkin that deal with our subjection to time and the painfulness of memory, and explore how he achieves his effects. (Love Songs in Age and Reference Back)

'Love Songs in Age' and 'Reference Back' are both poems by Philip Larkin that deal with the painfulness of memories and our subjection to time. In each, Larkin talks of the ways music can provoke memories, be it the sheet music 'Love Songs in Age', or the records in 'Reference Back'. The tone of the poems is very similar, with a negative opinion expressed in the final stanza of each poem, with 'Reference Back' dealing with the distortion of memories over time, and the theme of 'Love Songs in Age' being the overrating of love. Despite this, there are a number of differences in the way La…