"Toads" by Philip Larkin

     The poem "Toads" by Philip Larkin uses symbolism to express the two forces in the speaker that are contrasting.  This creates a personal conflict inside the speaker.  The two conflicting forces are the toads.  Each toad symbolizes a conflicting force in the speaker of Larkin's poem.  The first toad symbolizes the working aspect of the speaker, the part that is a hard worker and tries hard to maintain a comfortable lifestyle.  The reader can find this in the first line, "Why should I let the toad work Squat on my life?" (Larkin, 800).  The second toad is slightly harder to find and is at the end of the poem.  Larkin references that the second toad is greed and laziness.  These two toads conflict with each other because one cannot work hard to earn one's living and be lazy and just receive it.  Larkin juxtaposes the two toads throughout the poem.