The poems “Church Going” and “At Grass” were both written by Philip Larkin. “Church Going” tells the story of a man walking into a church and wondering about his future, while “At Grass” documents the life of a (possibly retired) racehorse. For this reason I initially thought they wouldn't have much in common, but upon closer inspection I realized they contained very similar themes and they were written in roughly the same style. Like “At Grass,” “Church Going” conveys a sense of uncertainty from the start. “Once I'm sure nothing's happening” suggests the man isn't sure he should be there and later in this stanza it shows he feels uncomfortable - “Without a hat, I take off my bike clips”. Similarly, in “At Grass,” the use of the adverb “barely” immediately puts doubt in the reader’s mind. "Church Going" seems to show a contrast between the man being intelligent and knowledgeable in religious jargon, and him not being so. know the simple things. After describing religious objects as "brass and objects with a sacred purpose", he goes on to correctly name certain religious objects. ...