The Importance of Elsewhere

Freedom from isolation -> Larkin enjoys the loneliness of it.

Makes him feel at home - his added freedom (being in Ireland not England).

"It would be much more serious to refuse" -> certain things he cannot refuse.

"underwrites" -> lonely and different at home - harder to expect anything here.

Need to be able to runaway - Larkin needed to experience something other than home - be a part of life.

"existence" -> he's known in England -> virtually unknown in Ireland.

familiar -> things expected of him in England: "there are my customs and establishments".

"The salt rebuff of speech, insisting so on difference, made me welcome" -> feels like a stranger in Ireland until he's spoken to - friendly.

"Living in England has no such excuse" -> England is home - he knows England well -> Ireland is foreign - exciting.

Stanza 1 -> Larkin is not very adventurous -> likes home comforts -> not used to foreign surroundings.

Stanza 2 -> "The herring-hawker's cry, dwindling went to prove me separate, not unworkable" -> his accent is different -> the place is different but he likes the change. -> it's acceptable/understandable.

Stanza 3 -> "Living in England has no excuse: these are my customs and establishments" -> recognisabilities - work - visiting family.

"Their" -> won't accept it as his own - stranger.

"Elsewhere" -> being anywhere but home - no other place is going to define him.

"Here is elsewhere underwrites my existence" -> cultural identity - concept of 'the other' (another group to compare yourself to) - 'I am this because I am not that'

Fitting in; feeling like an outsider; feeling like an observer not a participant; feeling like you are a glamorous outsider.

Difference between:

-being in Ireland

- being in England

Orientalism - SaÏd

Western vs. Eastern 

-Western - Christian - white

-Eastern - Non-Christian - non-white