Larkin, Philip. "Water".

Summary

- the speaker announces he would construct a religion out of water

- develops his argument in terms of "ford" making, "sousing", and "drenching" which are applicable both to the quality of water and to the quality of involvement with religion

- concludes he would fill a glass of water to make "any-angled light" assemble there forever

Analysis

- regular poetic line and stanza, unrhymed

- paradox: the idea of creating something to be firm (religion) out of something very changeable (water)

- culmination of the idea in the convincing concluding image of the glass of water