The poem
Standing under the fobbed Impendent belly of Time Tell me the truth, I said, Teach me the way things go. All the other lads there Were itching to have a bash, But I thought wanting unfair: It and finding out clash.
So he patted my head, booming Boy, There's no green in your eye: Sit here and watch the hail Of occurence clobber life out To a shape no one sees - Dare you look at that straight? Oh thank you, I said, Oh yes please, And sat down to wait.
Half life is over now, And I meet full face on dark mornings The bestial visor, bent in By the blows of what happened to happen. What does it prove? Sod all. In this way I spent youth, Tracing the trite untransferable Truss-advertisement, truth.
Death and old age. Come on, this is Larkin!
The title, 'Send No Money' is a reference to an old advertisement for trusses. This Larkin uses as a symbol of old age (they were used to hold you in when everything starts to go flobbery in your old age).
This poem reminds me of 'First Sight' which although written in a completely different tone, has the same sense of anticipation of what life has to bring, represented here by the booming voice. However, unlike 'First Sight' which seems to hint at and optimistic future in store, 'Send No Money' tell us that life adds up to 'Sod all'.
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