Toads

       This poem by Philip Larkin, he uses toads as a interesting and clever way to talk about people.  The metaphor in the poem is the toad.  To explain the connection between a person and a toad he uses personification.  Larkin uses frog words such as, "squats," and "it's sickening poison."  He then relates this back to humans working to pay the bills, and provide for their family.  He then uses alliteration of multiple "L" words.  "Lectures, lispers, losels, loblolly-men, loughts."  Not only is this difficult to say, it causes the reader to think about these strange sounding words and what they mean.  This can capture the reader's attention, and makes this poem stand out more due to it being about toads and having funny sounding words.