Aubade Essay Questions

How does the structure of “Aubade” reinforce its themes?

“Aubade” has a clear, generally consistent and predictable form, with stanzas of matching lengths, a consistent ABABCCDEED rhyme scheme, and a general iambic pentameter. This structure reflects the poem’s themes of the inevitability of death and the monotony of life—it, too, is repetitive, and what comes next is all too clear. The deviations from the pattern that do exist are thoroughly unpleasant, such as the shorter penultimate lines in each stanza that generally accentuate the themes of death and dying. For example, the ninth line of the poem departs from the iambic pentameter format to emphasize the words “dying, and being dead.” These jarring lines increase the unsettling nature of the poem.

Besides the obvious reason—it’s set around dawn—why might the poem be called “Aubade”?

Aubades traditionally deal with lovers parting. While “Aubade” isn’t a love poem, it does confront the speaker’s eventual departure from the world and those he cares for when he dies. In this manner, it can be viewed as an unconventional farewell poem. Furthermore, Larkin approaches the aubade format in an ironic manner, using the title to underscore the poem’s claim that death ultimately overshadows life, just as night overshadows day at the end of the poem. In addition, the narrator’s isolation stands in stark contrast to the romantic themes common in aubades, another source of irony.