When you read the title Church Going, you are inclined to think that the poem that follows will be deeply religious. However, “Church Going” by Philip Larkin introduces an interesting play on words; when you continue reading the poem, it becomes clear that it is not about going “to” church but about going “of” it. This poem addresses the slow disappearance of the Church as an institution. Throughout the book, Larkin explores the possibility of what would happen if the Church were diluted to its essence, while acknowledging the continuing pull of the religiosity that the Church embodies. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayIn the first line the poet has made it clear that he is skeptical and does not want to be involved in any ceremony. He mentions the phrase “Another church,” as if it were simply another church. This phrase is important because it is part of the idea of ​​diluted religion, where all you see is just “another church.” His tone is almost provocative in this context. Even when he says that everything is “brownish” now, he tries to imply that it is slowly eroding and is no longer as powerful as it once was. It brings out the idea of ​​decay in this part of the poem. Furthermore, the fact that he calls the altar the "sacred end" almost seems to have a subtle but decidedly mocking tone. What is interesting, however, is that there is an “unignorable silence”. While this is a way of asking why he finds no answers, it can also mean that it is in this state of the church that the speaker finds the peace needed for introspection. However, at the end, there is an “awkward reverence,” which exposes a sense of ambiguity in the speaker's attitude towards God. The speaker then displays a level of cynicism, moving his “hand around the font” – he is looking for God or are you checking out the place? (sense of ambivalence). He reads a few verses, saying “this ends” much louder than he intended. This phrase could have a deeper meaning and perhaps can be associated with the idea of ​​the end of the church as an institution. “The echoes chuckle briefly” is another very telling phrase that could point to the fact that the echoes of his voice are also mocking the whole idea of ​​this ending. Donate an “Irish sixpence”, knowing it is worthless. These sixpence may metaphorically symbolize the church and its declining meaning. The first stanza highlights the speaker's ambivalence, despite the fact that the speaker says that it is not worth stopping at that place, he stops there anyway. What is he looking for? But he finds himself at a loss again, having not found what he was looking for. He wonders what will happen when “churches fall completely into disuse.” He wonders whether they will become monuments to be admired or whether they will be considered unlucky. He also wonders if this will become a place where only superstition will find its place. The fourth stanza covers the idea of ​​the possibilities of events that could happen if the church left. In the fifth stanza he talks about the hypocrisy of the way religion is viewed and questions whether the church will only be useful for these purposes. He wonders if it will become a place that a “Christmas addict” might be drawn to. Perhaps it can be concluded that this phrase brings out the idea of ​​the importance of the church as a purely ceremonial point of reference. People only go to church at Christmas. He keeps wondering if the Christmas addict will be as ambivalent as he is, bored and uninformed. In this stanza, he outlines the church as potentially a place that only hosts important ceremonies. It also highlights a very important fact that the most important moments of our life are related to religion: birth, death and love. Here.