Sunny Prestatyn by Philip Larkin
'Come to Sunny Prestatyn'
In the poem, Larkin describes an advertising poster which persuades people to visit Prestatyn. The first stanza is presented with a cheerful tone with the word 'sunny' connoting happiness and joy. The girl on the poster is described as wearing 'white satin' which implies she is angelic. Larkin degrades the nameless women by describing her 'thighs' and 'breast-lifting arms' which portrays her as seductive and desirable.
'She was slapped up one day in March'
The girl on the poster was 'slapped up' which indicates a violent and harsh description. Larkin is talking about the poster, however he makes the poster seem alive by describing the girl as 'she' instead of the poster. The term is ambiguous as it could imply how the female's make up was slapped on thickly, essentially making her fake. However, it could mean that women can be treated carelessly because they are simply objects of beauty with no identity. Larkin goes on to describe the female in a grotesque manner. After a couple of weeks the poem had been defaced, therefore 'her face was snaggle-toothed and boss eyed.'
'Someone had used a knife Or something to stab right through'
In the final stanza, the woman herself seems to be killed as 'Someone had used a knife Or something to stab right through The mustached lips of her smile.' Larkin expresses no remorse or resignation for this as she was simply 'too good for this life' which implies that her appearance was the cause of her death and she can be blamed for her own demise. The final line of the final stanza describes how 'Now Fight Cancer is there' which represents how we cover the truth of reality, such as death, with images of positivity. However, this is sooner or later destroyed by the inevitable truth of death and disaster, which is reality. This is also a sign of how we try to cover up the ugly truth with something beautiful.
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