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영어

Philip Larkin says “I write poems to preserve things I have seen/thought/felt both for myself and for others [. . .].” He wants to provide British people who are losing their sense of self with an opportunity to experience Britishness through his poetry. To Larkin, Britishness is not related to laws and institutions, but to the life, identity, history and culture of the British. Thus, for Larkin, an experience is a journey to find out the meaning of Britishness. His poetry, expressed through everyday language, makes readers naturally experience and sympathize with Britishness. “Church Going”, one of his poems, shows one speaker’s journey in search of answers from a church that still gets people to visit, even though it has lost its religious meaning. The speaker leads readers into the poem, visits a church with them and thinks of the meaning and value of the church. Although the church has lost its meaning as a space of religion, the place still has value as a root for Britishness by preserving British people’s lives and history. On this account, British people will go to church as a place to confirm their identities, and consequently, churches will also maintain their value to exist.