Take One Home For The Kiddies

This poem investigates the cruelty of children, and their lack of respect for life - in this case concerning pets, although I think the moral of the poem is a lot broader, with the example of animal cruelty acting as a microcosm of their overall selfishness. The poem is written in a nursery rhyme style; it is jolly, rhythmic and short, and this contrasts shockingly with the depressing subject. This is deeply ironic, and it could be argued that through this technique Larkin is attempting to portray the realism of life - it is not always as it seems. The title itself is extremely sarcastic; 'Kiddies' holds the connotations of innocence and affection, whereas in reality Larkin is presenting the children as cruel and brutish.
     The first stanza begins with a description of the pets' habitats; they lie 'On shallow straw, in shadeless glass, / Huddled by empty bowls'. This reveals the fact that they are in a pet shop, a hostile place, and the 'shadeless glass' means they are on display for the customers, as if they are just objects for show. The word 'huddled' suggests that the animals are frightened, and their 'empty bowls' show signs of neglect. They have 'No dark, no dam, no earth, no grass', no natural comforts or protection. The children exclaim 'Mam, gets us one of them to keep' - this is childish speech, and it is clear that the characters in question are of a working-class family from up-north. By making the speech colloquial, Larkin makes the poem extremely clear to understand, possibly echoing the way that adults speak to children very plainly and simply. This also compliments the nursery rhyme nature of the poem.
     The second and final stanza begins with the line: 'Living toys are something novel'. This depicts how the children find the prospect of a pet new and exciting, but their love is short-lived and fickle, and 'it soon wears off somehow'. This shows neglect and cruelty on the part of the children, and portrays how they consider a 'living toy' and a stuffed toy to be equals - they have no respect for human life, and no idea of its importance. The sibilance used in the first line ('shallow') is repeated in the second from last line ('shoebox'). The harshness of this strengthens the tone of neglect and cruelty, and also creates the image of an animal making sounds of distress. The final line is disturbing and creates shock: 'Mam, we're playing funerals now.' This exposes the ruthless disinterest of the children; after a certain amount of time, they lose interest in the item which was previously the object of their affections, and they reveal their cruelties to the adult world without a hint of regret or remorse. It appears that Larkin is portraying the brutal nature of adolescents which contrasts with the innocence of their age, and it could be argued that he is also attempting to inform children of how hard and fickle life can be.