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In A Study of Reading Habits, Larkin initially uses books as a form of escapism saying it "cured most things short of school" but then he seems like he grew up to hate readig because he done it so much as a child "Don't read much now" "Seem far too familiar"
He may also see books now as a stupid way to ignore the world since he has other things such as sex. "Books are a load of crap"

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In a Study Of Reading Habits, Larkin suggests that he would read books at school as a way to hide from the bullies as if he always had his "nose in a book " he would be preoccupied and the mean kids wouldn't bother him. This further links to the fact that he had always felt socially excluded even from a young age. Larkin also implied he used to really enjoy reading and saw it as a form of escapism, a place where he wouldn't be judged ; " cloak and fangs" "ripping times in the dark". however, the mood significantly changes towards the end of the poem as he sees books as  "a load of crap" . the poem also touches on his un successful past relationships ; " who lets the girl down before the hero arrives" which touches on the fact that the fairytale that society presents and he once would've believed in as a child is false and he thinks love is disappointing as a waste of time;

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In Litany, Duffy seems to want to forget or ignore bad experiences that happened to her. She says "This was the code I learned at my mothers knee, pretending to read, where no one had cancer, or sex, or debts, and certainly not leukaemia" she seems to want to be ingorant to things happening around her. And maybe even then to her own mistakes as she later says "The taste of soap" after repeating a swear word a boy said to her.

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In Stafford Afternoons, Duffy states 'Only there, the afternoons could suddenly pause' showing how remembering can make time feel distorting and almost unmoving. It seems innocent, like she wants to capture that moment forever. This is later contrasted by the last paragraph where she says "children scattered and shrieked and time fell from the sky like a red ball" the fact that time is now moving shows that Duffy doesn't want to remember this particular thing and it now has much darker tones, signifying the loss of innocence she once had

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In Stafford Afternoons, it shows Duffy as a child with a sort of lost childhood experience. She says “only there, the afternoons could suddenly pause” which shows her memories as a child and how the world is revolved simply around her. She uses the words “ice cream van” “waving at windscreens” and “lacing my shoes”, therefore showing the simplicity of her childhood and also shows her innocence.

In Litany, Duffy again shows herself as a child and how different she was compared to the other people. She says “where no one had cancer or sex or debts” also showing the difference back then in her childhood and the childhood of kids in this generation. It also tells us the simplicity and has connotations of being pure.

In A Study of Reading Habits, Larkin sees reading books as a way to escape reality using words like “cured most things short of school.” But at the end, he says “books are a load of crap” which tells us that he no longer thinks that reading books is the solution to solve problems in his life and therefore comes back to reality.

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In Litany, a tense depressing tone is evident as Duffy lists things that children should not have to worry about such as " cancer '" and "debts" implying from a young age she has been surrounded by stress of illness and money, 2 things children shouldn't have to think of. Duffy also suggests that she was quite a mischievous child as she still can remember the "taste of soap" in her mouth implying that either it happened so frequently it will always linger with her or that it was so unpleasant and degrading that it has had a lasting affect. This links to the idea that certain smells and tastes can bring back memories for people.

In Stafford Afternoons, Duffy uses childlike vocabulary to evoke her childhood and grasp how simple and pure children are. the quotes "Ice cream van" and "lacing my shoe" have connotations of happiness and joy whilst "threw a stone " shows the anger that can brew amongst children. The fact that time would " suddenly pause" shows that kids have little concept of whats happening around them and could also be inferred by the fact that time flies past when you're young and you don't even realise it.

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In “Litany” Duffy portrays her childhood as full of repression and tension. The “candlewick bedspread… and stiff-haired wives balanced their red smiles”, this emphasises the vanity that firstly of houses and of women looks was repressed and was expected to be respectable which made them uncomfortable.. This is also, shown by, “terrible marriages crackled,” and “the lounge would seem to bristle with eyes” showed that they stayed in uncomfortable and unhappy marriages building tension not to break social codes however “an embarrassing word, broken to bits,” shows duffy as a mischievous child who liked to speak out about taboo topics such as “cancer” and “debts” and break the social rules which her mother was very much ashamed of.

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In “A Study of Reading Habits”, Larkin portrays reading as an escape to the boredom and monotony that he felt growing up, shown by, “cured most thing short of school.” He fantasised about being the strong hero and enjoyed imagining himself as strong however, “evil was just my lark” suggests that the reading was just a distraction for him feeling insecure in himself as a child which, also made him quite bitter. Although, as he grew up and progressed in his life and the poem is brought to the present it is evident that now he can laugh at his foolishness but is also dismissive since he can no longer replace the reality with fantasy.

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In 'A Study of Reading Habits’, Larkin expresses feelings of boredom with his life, that nothing has changed since he was a child, ‘Seem far too familiar’. There is a sense of disappointment throughout the poem, that his imaginary fantasy is far more interesting that real life, ‘Ripping times in the dark’. Larkin read books as a child to imagine a better life, fighting ‘Dirty dogs twice my size’, but in adulthood he could not face reading as the books he chooses are too familiar to his failed love-life, ‘Lets the girl down’. His childhood hobby of reading may have influenced his adulthood, this could be due to the amount of time he spent reading instead of living real experiences.

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In Staffordshire Afternoons, Duffy reflects on time spent during her childhood. How she says 'only there, the afternoons could suddenly pause' shows how the memory of such a time seems unforgettable and important to still be remembered as a form almost of escapism. In A Study of Reading Habits, Larkin reflects on reading books as a form of escapism as a child to escape from bullies - 'dirty dogs twice my size' - and now in adulthood as a means of living out his sexual fantasies - 'the women I clubbed with sex!' In Litany, Duffy explores the foreignness of remembering the past, a world 'where no one had cancer, or sex or debts'. It is made out to a be a simpler time, being a child, which adds to the use of revisiting childhood as a means of escapism because of how things were seemingly easier back then as compared to adulthood