Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Philip Larkin's "When First We Faced, And Touching Showed" delves into the complexities of new love, acknowledging the past experiences and relationships that shape the present moment. Through intimate and evocative imagery, Larkin captures the interplay of excitement, gratitude, and the lingering shadows of previous loves.

The poem opens with a scene of initial connection: "When first we faced, and touching showed / How well we knew the early moves." This line suggests an immediate and mutual understanding between the lovers, as if they instinctively grasp the subtleties of their new relationship. The phrase "touching showed" emphasizes the physical and emotional intimacy of their encounter, highlighting the depth of their connection from the very beginning.

Larkin continues to set the scene with "Behind the moonlight and the frost, / The excitement and the gratitude." These images of moonlight and frost evoke a sense of romantic and ethereal beauty, while the mention of excitement and gratitude underscores the profound emotions accompanying their meeting. However, Larkin quickly introduces a note of reflection: "There stood how much our meeting owed / To other meetings, other loves."

This acknowledgment of past relationships brings a layer of complexity to the poem. The speaker recognizes that their current love is built upon the foundations of previous experiences, suggesting that the histories of both lovers are intertwined with their present connection. The line "To other meetings, other loves" indicates that past loves have shaped and influenced who they are and how they relate to each other.

In the second stanza, Larkin deepens this reflection: "The decades of a different life / That opened past your inch-close eyes / Belonged to others, lavished, lost." Here, the speaker contemplates the years and experiences that have passed before their current relationship. The "inch-close eyes" signify the intimacy of the present moment, yet the "decades of a different life" remind us of the lovers' separate histories. The words "lavished, lost" suggest that these past experiences were significant and impactful, yet ultimately left behind.

The speaker expresses a desire to bridge the gap between past and present: "Nor could I hold you hard enough / To call my years of hunger-strife / Back for your mouth to colonise." This vivid imagery conveys the speaker's longing to reclaim and merge their past with their current love. The phrase "hunger-strife" captures the speaker's past struggles and desires, while "your mouth to colonise" implies a wish for their lover to possess and transform these past experiences.

The final stanza brings a poignant realization: "Admitted: and the pain is real. / But when did love not try to change / The world back to itself–no cost, / No past, no people else at all– / Only what meeting made us feel, / So new, and gentle-sharp, and strange?" The speaker acknowledges the pain of accepting the past's influence on their current love, yet also recognizes that love inherently seeks to transcend time and circumstance. The desire to "change / The world back to itself" reflects the lovers' wish to create a timeless, self-contained universe through their connection.

Larkin captures the essence of love's transformative power, where the present moment feels "new, and gentle-sharp, and strange." This final line encapsulates the unique blend of tenderness and intensity that characterizes new love, as well as the sense of wonder and novelty it brings.

"When First We Faced, And Touching Showed" is a beautifully introspective poem that navigates the intersections of past and present in the context of new love. Through its evocative imagery and reflective tone, Larkin explores the ways in which previous experiences shape and enhance the richness of current relationships, ultimately celebrating the enduring and transformative power of love.

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