Later in the poem, Larkin uses religion, nature, and superstition imagery, to show that people will always question the spiritual world. After pondering endings earlier in the poem, the speaker wonders what will happen once the church, and the religious beliefs that come with it, end by questioning whether old churches will become museums with, “parchment, plate, and pyx in locked cases,” (25). The “parchment, plate, and pyx” used in churches would be sealed off in showcases so that the disbelievers of the future can observe the spiritual rituals of the past. This implies that the holy value behind these items will be lost. The speaker's reflection implies that the entire ritual of communion will discontinue, leaving a void in the world of connecting to a higher power. The use of “locked cases” illustrates that once religious artifacts are looked at in a historical context and have no …show more content…
The persona has many ideas about what could happen to the church, and he contemplates each of them individually, presenting his continuous inquisitive attitude towards religion. Immediately after speculating whether or not churches could serve as museums, the speaker wonders if humanity would, “let the rest [of the churches] rent-free to rain and sheep” (26). At this point, the speaker is deep in thought about the end of religion. He personifies that not only will religion end, but human belief will consist solely of nature and scientifically proven facts. Nature and religion are long time rivals because they contrast each other in every way. For example, the “rain and sheep” that would fill the church differ from the priests and pastors that fill the church in the modern religious world. The persona contemplates whether the concept of churches and religion will develop into mere pieces of history, or hold no relevance due to the growing belief in science and