A dramatic monologue is a lyrical or narrative poem in w single character speaks throughout the composition. The speaker comments upon a dramatic moment in his life, and during his relation of it, he reveals his own characteristics and those of the other persons involved. During his relation the reader also learns much of the locale and of the person or persons being addressed.
The first characteristic of a dramatic monologue is that there is one speaker in the poem who speaks throughout the monologue and according to Browning technique there is a second person also present in the monologue who does not speak at all but is only a listener.
The second characteristic is that there is realistic and psychological presentation of the basic theme in the monologue. Then thirdly the dramatic monologue is a series of remarks usually confessional addressed either orally or in an epistolary form to a group of listeners. Larkin's monologue are more psychological than Shakespeare’s soliloquies. They are simpler and conversational or colloquial. Larkin has followed the example of Browning in most of his monologues.
As one of the critics says, Larkin's poems often take the form of dramatic monologues which seem intended to reveal Larkin's own thoughts and feelings because he is speaking out of his own strong conviction. In these monologues the speaker is Larkin himself. Although emphasis on his own feelings and thoughts is rather egoistical but he himself has observed that it reflects the example of his literary master Thomas Hardy. In these monologues Larkin gives his own view on his favourite theme, his belief or attitude to religion and prevalent social customs and fashions. The basic theme of these monologues is death. Therefore a discussion on his approach to death is most important.
Every critic has noted Larkin's obsession with death. According to Janice Rossen Larkin believes in the omnipresence of death. In many of his poems death is constantly described as the last destination of human life. For example in the monologue Church Going he perceives that churches will soon be fallen into ruins which is clear from the following lines:
“A shapeless recognisable each week,
A purpose more obscure, I wonder who
Will be the last, the very last, to seek
This place for what it was; one of the crew
That tap and jot and know what rood - lofts were?
Some ruin – bibber, randy for antique,
Or Christmas - addict, counting on a whiff
Of gown - and - bands and organ - pipes and myrrh?
Or will he be my representative.”
Thus not only of man but of also institutions Larkin sees the deathly end of them. Thus, while Larkin dismisses the concept of a Church being a house of God, he yet believes that churches would continue to serve some emotional or spiritual purpose even after people's rejection of the current religious beliefs. Church Going is really an interesting and even entertaining poem. A vein of irony runs through the poem , and particularly amusing are the following lines:
“The echoes snigger briefly, Back at the door
I sign the book, donate an Irish six - pence,
Reflect the place was not worth stopping for,
Yet stop I did: in fact I often do.”
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