What are the themes covered in "At Grass" by Philip Larkin?

This excellent poem uses the sight of two horses who were
formerly famous but are now "at grass" in their dotage to discuss the place of growing
old and fame in our lives. Clearly the horses act as symbols of animals who have known
great success in their time, but now are enjoying a tranquil life, being placed in a
pleasant meadow. Now they are described as being "anonymous," free to enjoy life without
fame. However, stanzas two and three deal with their glory days and compare the fame and
praise they received with their lifestyle now. Stanza four begins with a very pertinent
question that links to the central theme of this
poem:

Do
memories plague their ears like
flies?

That is, are they
haunted or constantly nagged by their former glory days in comparison with their life
now? Can they ever live a "normal" life after the success they have enjoyed, or will the
rest of their days be full of regret for what has passed, for what has been "summer by
summer all stole away"? All they are left with now is the "unmolesting meadows," which
may sound pleasant, but can hardly compare to the jolt of excitement of the "starting
gates." The only relationship they have now is with the grooms that look after
them.

Thus this poem looks at the process of growing old
and the necessary lifestyle changes that come with that. It also haunts us with the
question of how we cope with retirement or the removal of fame and praise in our lives
as we move to the "unmolesting meadows" of our Autumn years.