A Figure of 8

Content:

The poem is about the daily routine of young student in the classroom, who's rebelling against what they've been taught at school.
Theme:

The poem talks about rebellion, and doubt, a young person's attempt to break free and express their opinions within the classroom.

Analysis of The Poem

Analysis:

The title of the poem, is the shape of the infinity sign, going round in circles and showing the cyclical nature of life. The life of the persona is a routine and repetitive, like the motion of the infinity sign, and feels like that their life is revolving around education. A figure of 8 could mean that the persona, a figure, is 8 years old.
The persona refers to his classroom as 'Mr Theophilus's jail', suggesting that the classroom is restrictive and confined like a prison. They can't escape, and feel trapped, unable to express their opinion and can only listen and do what they're told, having to be taught not learning things for themselves. 'The boy half listens to a story of royalty-loving Christopher Robin'. This is a reference to Winnie the Pooh, showing the persona's young age to this children's book. The teacher is teaching the students about stories, innocent and patriotic things that don't relate to the reality outside the classroom. The persona also 'half-listens' implying he's bored, doesn't care and is distracted, maybe daydreaming about something else. His mind works independently, no matter what the teacher tries to tell him. Abse makes the tone comical by 'his friend, Fatty Jones', a childish nickname for a classmate. Fatty Jones sings 'God bless the Prince of Wales!', a Welsh hymn.
The second stanza talks about escaping from school, 'free, at last', from the mundane, repetitive classroom. This exaggerates how happy the persona is to get away, 'arms horizontal'. The child is so cheerful and excited he 'jet-roars out' like a plane, escaping 'jail'. Flying away shows a liberation, lack of restriction and freedom to do anything as the persona 'loops the loop, flies to Africa to see naked women'. This shows the child is fantasising about adult themes, inappropriate for his age, and thinks about things that are avoided at school. He thinks independently and is growing up. However this view is shifted by to the persona's immaturity when he comically 'farts H2SS'.
The third stanza is a contrast to the childlike first stanza, a more depressing and realistic view of the world. This stanza is short and dramatic, 'someone has bombed the park'. The child could be playing war games, and this makes the persona sinister to think these things, a vivid imagination to have. However this could show that the child is growing up, and not so naivety towards the bad events, the ones teachers avoid to tell children and instead tell fairytale stories. This idea is continued in stanza four, 'both the swings are on fire, the empty see-saw is charred', destruction to playground objects that children would use. This is implies that his childish views are being burnt down, and reality is overcoming his thoughts. 'The enemy is a brute, the enemy must be foiled', threats of war and violence, which are quite childish, playing games where the bad guys can just be beaten. 'The wooden horses are running wild' is like the persona's self, running wild and hard to control because he's finding freedom.
The persona mentions a 'sorcerer' and 'spaceship', all imagined childish thoughts. But the persona comes 'safely... comes home to base'. Home suggests protection and safety, a secure place for a child compared to the outside world.
The last stanza involves the persona chalking 'across the garden shed FUCK WINNIE THE POOH'. Symbolising rebellion and a hatred towards the things he's been taught, the ideals of society and the false stories he hears in the classroom. The child is fed up with hearing untruths, 'FUCK MR THEOPHILUS TOO', and doesn't like education. The last stanza is comical to how people will try to teach children and form a path for them but they can't be taught and protected forever, that they instead break free.

Links to Larkin:

A Study of Reading Habits - rebellion, dislike to childish stories
Sunny Prestatyn - graffiti and rebellion