The speaker of "Water," by the English poet Philip Larkin, imagines being "called in" to create a new religion. This religion would involve multiple rituals centered around water: wading through water, images of getting soaking wet, and raising a glass of water "in the east." By alluding to traditional Christian practices (such as baptism and communion), the speaker may be critiquing religion and its traditions, suggesting that these have become hollow and perhaps even a little silly. At the same time, "Water" also seems to express a genuine appreciation for ritual's ability to give life meaning, even in the absence of actual faith.

• Read the full text of “Water”

• “Water” Summary

• “Water” Themes

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    The Mystery and Power of Ritual

    Where this theme appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-13

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Water”

  • Lines 1-3

    If I were ...
    ... use of water.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 4-6

    Going to church ...
    ... dry, different clothes;

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 7-9

    My liturgy would ...
    ... furious devout drench,

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 10-13

    And I should ...
    ... Would congregate endlessly.

    

    

    

    

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• “Water” Symbols

  • 

    Water

    Where this symbol appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-13
    • Lines 4-6

• “Water” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

  • Alliteration

    

    

    

    

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    Where alliteration appears in the poem:

    • Line 1: “called”
    • Line 2: “construct”
    • Line 6: “dry, different”
    • Line 9: “devout drench”
    • Line 11: “water”
    • Line 12: “Where,” “any-angled”

  • Sibilance

    

    

    

    

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    Where sibilance appears in the poem:

    • Line 8: “Images,” “sousing”
    • Line 9: “furious”
    • Line 10: “east”
    • Line 11: “glass”
    • Line 13: “endlessly”

  • Enjambment

    

    

    

    

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    Where enjambment appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-2: “in / To”
    • Lines 2-3: “religion / I”
    • Lines 4-5: “ church / Would”
    • Lines 5-6: “fording / To”
    • Lines 7-8: “employ / Images”
    • Lines 10-11: “east / A”
    • Lines 11-12: “water / Where”
    • Lines 12-13: “light / Would”

  • Imagery

    

    

    

    

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    Where imagery appears in the poem:

    • Lines 8-9: “Images of sousing, / A furious devout drench,”
    • Line 10: “And I should raise in the east”
    • Lines 11-13: “A glass of water / Where any-angled light / Would congregate endlessly.”

  • Allusion

    

    

    

    

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    Where allusion appears in the poem:

    • Lines 5-6: “a fording / To dry, different clothes;”
    • Lines 8-9: “Images of sousing, / A furious devout drench,”
    • Lines 10-11: “And I should raise in the east / A glass of water”

  • Personification

    

    

    

    

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    Where personification appears in the poem:

    • Lines 12-13: “Where any-angled light / Would congregate endlessly.”

• “Water” Vocabulary

  Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

  • Entail
  • Fording
  • Liturgy
  • Employ
  • Sousing
  • Devout
  • Any-angled
  • Congregate
  • (Location in poem: Lines 4-5: “Going to church / Would entail a fording”)

• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Water”

  • Form

  • Meter

  • Rhyme Scheme

• “Water” Speaker

• “Water” Setting

• Literary and Historical Context of “Water”

• More “Water” Resources

  • External Resources

    • The Poem Out Loud — Listen to Philip Larkin reading "Water."

    • Who was Philip Larkin? — A short biography of the poet.

    • All About "The Movement" — A primer on English literature's angry decade from the British Library.

    • More About Larkin — Resources, events, and more from the Philip Larkin Society.

    • Philip Larkin: Life, Love, and Jazz — A film about Larkin from the BBC.

  • LitCharts on Other Poems by Philip Larkin

    • Afternoons

    • An Arundel Tomb

    • A Study of Reading Habits

    • Church Going

    • Coming

    • Home Is So Sad

    • MCMXIV

    • Money

    • Mr Bleaney

    • Next, Please

    • Poetry of Departures

    • Talking in Bed

    • The Trees

    • The Whitsun Weddings

    • This Be The Verse

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