The poem
Caught in the center of a soundless field While hot inexplicable hours go by What trap is this? Where were its teeth concealed? You seem to ask. I make a sharp reply, Then clean my stick. I'm glad I can't explain Just in what jaws you were to suppurate: You may have thought things would come right again If you could only keep quite still and wait.
This poem really captures the defencelessness of rabbits with this disease. They have, most often, a serious form of pneumonia, severe conjunctivitis and inflammations, suffer convulsions and disorientation. The rabbits seem to suffer so much pain through this, that I think something should be done to protect wild rabbits. Perhaps they could be vaccinated through pellets being left to innoculate them? In truth, Philip Larkin did the kindest thing to the rabbit he encountered.
This poem has nothing to do with rabbits really. It is of course a metaphor for us as humans and how with a lot of problems, either are own or others, our attitude is to do nothing and hope they go away.
I read this poem in school and it always stuck in my mind... I think its power lies in its concision. Larkin really knows how to pack in a punch - I would like to know what he would say about the state we find ourselves in today.
Myxamatosis Larkin
I am distressed that you cannot spell;the word is centre. Larkin was a British poet, please do not pollute his work with American spellings - which are incorrect!