Sound & Sense 5: Toads

     I can relate to the frustration of the pestering amphibians that Philip Larkin encounters in his poem, "Toads." The first toad that Larkin wrestles with is the monotony and obligation of going to work. The poem begins, "Why should I let the toad work / Squat on my life?" (1-2). The speaker would much prefer to abort his career and "live on [his] wits" (9). As his rational, the speaker recognizes the lecturers and thieves that use their brains to support their lifestyles. This also adds a sense of humor to the poem because although the speaker touches upon a serious subject, using a convict as his ideal role model is a sarcastic gesture. The second toad is slightly different than the first: "[it] squats in me" (26). Compared to the first toad, the speaker cannot overcome the toad that lurks on the inside. We all have toads similar the first kind, the one associated with words such as "pension" and "bills." These man-made concepts reflect more of the material world in which we live, and the pressure placed upon individuals by society. These toads are more easily acknowledged, and at times they can be removed. The second toad, however, is never explicitly named in the poem because it is harder to unmask. Nonetheless, it is ever present and daunting: "Its hunkers are heavy as hard luck, / And cold as snow" (27-28). One's inner toad is most likely the moral obligations or responsibilities that interfere with being entirely liberated to achieve "the fame and the girl and the money" (31). Larkin's poem "Toads" responds to the duties and responsibilities in life with a humorous tone but a strong message.