2 Poems by Philip Arthur Larkin

Philip Arthur Larkin (1922-1985) stands as one of the most significant English poets of the post-war era, a writer whose unflinching observations of ordinary life and masterful technical skill earned him a place among the finest poets of the 20th century. Often labeled as the "saddest heart in the post-war supermarket," Larkin crafted verse that captured the disillusionment and quiet desperation of modern Britain with extraordinary precision and emotional resonance. His deliberately modest lifestyle as a university librarian in Hull belied the tremendous impact of his relatively small body of published work, which continues to be celebrated for its accessibility, formal excellence, and profound explorations of mortality, disappointment, and the human condition.

This biography traces Larkin's journey from his middle-class upbringing in Coventry through his development as a writer, his career as a librarian, and his complex personal relationships, exploring how these elements shaped both the man and his art. Through examination of his major works, we will consider how Larkin's distinctive voice—sardonic yet tender, detached yet deeply felt—emerged as one of the most authentic and influential in modern English poetry.

Early Life and Family Background (1922-1940)

Philip Arthur Larkin was born on August 9, 1922, in Coventry, England, the second child and only son of Sydney and Eva Larkin. His sister Catherine, known as Kitty, was ten years his senior. His father, Sydney Larkin, served as the city treasurer of Coventry, a position that provided the family with middle-class stability. Sydney was a complex figure whose influence on his son would prove profound and lasting. A self-educated man with a love of literature, Sydney was also an authoritarian personality with pronounced right-wing views, including admiration for Nazi Germany in the 1930s—a troubling aspect of his character that would later complicate his son's relationship with him.

Eva Larkin (née Day), Philip's mother, came from a less privileged background than her husband. Devoted to her son, she maintained a close, sometimes stifling relationship with Philip throughout his life. Later, Larkin would describe his childhood as "a forgotten boredom," yet the family dynamics established during these early years would echo throughout his life and work.

The Larkin household was not an especially happy one. Sydney and Eva's marriage was often strained, and young Philip developed a stammer that would remain with him throughout his life. Growing up as a solitary child, Larkin found solace in reading. His father's extensive library introduced him to a range of literature, and he developed a particular fondness for detective novels and girls' school stories, the latter providing imaginative escape from the constraints of his boyhood.

Larkin's education began at King Henry VIII School in Coventry, where he was a capable but not exceptional student. He formed a close friendship with classmate James "Jim" Sutton, who shared his emerging interest in jazz and literature. During these years, Larkin began to experiment with writing poetry and prose, though little of this juvenilia survives. These formative experiences at school would later resurface in poems like "I Remember, I Remember," which subverts nostalgic conventions about childhood with its famous declaration: "Nothing, like something, happens anywhere."

As World War II began, Larkin was preparing for university. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he would not serve in the military; a severe eyesight deficiency rendered him unfit for service. This circumstance would later become another source of ambivalence in his personal mythology, as he watched his generation defined by a war experience he did not share.

University Years and Early Literary Development (1940-1946)

In October 1940, Larkin arrived at St. John's College, Oxford, to read English. His university years coincided with the war, giving Oxford an unusual atmosphere—depleted of young men but vibrant with urgent intellectual conversations about literature and politics. At Oxford, Larkin formed significant friendships that would influence his literary development, most notably with Kingsley Amis, who would become a celebrated novelist and lifelong friend despite their sometimes divergent literary paths.

Socially awkward and self-conscious about his stammer, Larkin nonetheless developed a sardonic wit and found his place among like-minded students. He joined the university's jazz club and edited a small magazine called "Arabesque," which published his early poetry. These years saw Larkin developing his distinctive voice as a writer, moving away from his early influence of W.H. Auden toward something more personal and direct.

Academically, Larkin performed well, earning a first-class degree in 1943. His final examinations coincided with the death of his father from cancer, an event that affected him deeply and later emerged as a theme in some of his most powerful poetry. Following graduation, Larkin briefly considered pursuing postgraduate studies but instead took a position as a librarian at Wellington, Shropshire, beginning a career path that would provide him with financial stability while allowing time for his writing.

During these early post-university years, Larkin completed his first novel, "Jill" (1946), which drew on his Oxford experiences while exploring themes of social class and alienation. Though not widely read at the time, the novel demonstrated Larkin's keen observational skills and his ability to evoke the painful awkwardness of social interactions. He also published his first collection of poems, "The North Ship" (1945), which showed the strong influence of Yeats in its style and concerns. Though Larkin would later dismiss these early poems as apprentice work, they reveal a poet already preoccupied with themes of isolation and the passage of time.

The Librarian-Poet (1946-1955)

In 1946, Larkin accepted a position as librarian at University College, Leicester, beginning a career that would provide him with financial security while affording him time to write. This period marked a significant transition in his development as a writer. Moving away from the Yeatsian romanticism of "The North Ship," Larkin began to forge the direct, conversational style that would become his hallmark. This stylistic shift occurred partly under the influence of Thomas Hardy, whose poetry Larkin discovered during this time and whose unsentimental clarity and technical precision he greatly admired.

While at Leicester, Larkin completed his second and final novel, "A Girl in Winter" (1947), which tells the story of a young European refugee working in an English library during wartime. The novel showcases Larkin's growing mastery of prose and his penetrating insight into the psychology of isolation. Though he began a third novel, "A New World Symphony," he abandoned it after several chapters, effectively ending his career as a novelist. Later, he would explain this decision by remarking that he had "lost interest in prose," finding that poetry better suited his temperament and creative impulses.

In 1950, Larkin moved to Belfast to take up the position of Sub-Librarian at Queen's University, where he would remain for five years. His time in Northern Ireland proved productive for his writing and personal development. He formed a significant relationship with Patsy Strang, the wife of an academic colleague, which may have been his first serious romantic attachment. During this period, Larkin also maintained a correspondence with his friend Kingsley Amis, whose first novel, "Lucky Jim" (1954), contained a character partly inspired by Larkin.

The Belfast years saw Larkin refining his poetic voice and producing many of the poems that would appear in his breakthrough collection, "The Less Deceived." These works demonstrated his mastery of traditional forms while introducing the direct, colloquial language and unflinching perspective that would become his signature style. Poems like "Church Going," "Toads," and "Lines on a Young Lady's Photograph Album" reveal a poet finding his distinctive voice—skeptical but not cynical, formal but not rigid, clear-eyed about human limitations yet capable of profound sympathy.

Maturity and Recognition (1955-1964)

In 1955, Larkin accepted the position of University Librarian at the University of Hull, a role he would hold until his retirement. His arrival in Hull marked the beginning of the most settled period of his life and his most productive years as a poet. Though he would famously refer to Hull as a place where "silence surrounds you," suggesting isolation, the city provided him with the stability and anonymity that seemed to nurture his creative work.

The same year, "The Less Deceived" was published by the Marvell Press, a small poetry publisher based in Hessle, near Hull. The collection established Larkin as a significant voice in contemporary poetry, earning critical acclaim for its technical accomplishment and its honest exploration of everyday disappointments and quiet desperation. The collection's title, drawn from a line in "Deceptions," hints at Larkin's poetic stance—a determination to see things as they are, without illusion or sentimentality.

During this period, Larkin was sometimes grouped with the "Movement" poets, including Kingsley Amis, Donald Davie, and Thom Gunn, who reacted against the ornate romanticism of Dylan Thomas and others in favor of a more restrained, ironic approach. Though Larkin shared some of their aesthetic principles, he maintained an ambivalent relationship with any notion of literary groupings, preferring to see himself as a solitary figure rather than part of a movement or school.

In his personal life, Larkin developed a complex relationship with Monica Jones, a lecturer in English at Leicester University whom he had met during his time there. Their relationship would last for the rest of his life, though they never married or lived together permanently. During the same period, Larkin was also involved with Maeve Brennan, a colleague at the Hull University library. These overlapping relationships reflected Larkin's conflicted attitudes toward intimacy and commitment, themes that would emerge repeatedly in his poetry.

As a librarian, Larkin proved innovative and effective, modernizing the Hull University library system and overseeing the construction of a new library building, completed in 1970. His professional achievements earned him respect in the library world, though he maintained a self-deprecating attitude toward his career, famously remarking that librarianship was "a kind of going to the toilet compared with writing a poem."

Literary Pinnacle (1964-1974)

In 1964, Faber and Faber published "The Whitsun Weddings," the collection that would cement Larkin's reputation as one of Britain's foremost poets. The title poem, inspired by a train journey from Hull to London during which Larkin observed newly married couples joining the train at various stations, exemplifies his ability to transform ordinary experiences into profound meditations on time, change, and human connection. Other standout poems in the collection include "An Arundel Tomb," with its famous final line about love "proving our almost-instinct almost true," and "MCMXIV," a poignant reflection on innocence before the First World War.

The collection received widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers praising Larkin's technical mastery and his ability to speak to common experiences with uncommon insight. Though never a poet who courted popularity, Larkin found himself increasingly in the public eye, an ironic development for someone who valued privacy and routinely declined invitations to poetry readings and literary festivals.

Following the success of "The Whitsun Weddings," Larkin continued to write steadily, though at a somewhat slower pace. He contributed reviews of jazz recordings to the Daily Telegraph and essays on literature to various publications. His prose style, like his poetry, was marked by clarity, wit, and a distinctive voice that could be both scholarly and conversational.

In 1972, Larkin began editing the "Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse," a project that would occupy him for several years and cause him considerable stress. Published in 1973, his selection reflected his personal tastes and critical judgments, emphasizing poets like Hardy and Betjeman over modernists like Pound and Eliot. The anthology provoked controversy among some critics but reinforced Larkin's position as an influential figure in the literary establishment.

The culmination of this period came with the publication of "High Windows" in 1974, Larkin's final full collection of new poems. The volume contains some of his most celebrated work, including the title poem with its juxtaposition of sexual liberation and existential emptiness, "This Be The Verse" with its infamous opening line about parental influence, and "The Old Fools," a stark meditation on aging and dementia. The collection demonstrated Larkin's continuing evolution as a poet, with some poems displaying a new expansiveness of language and imagery alongside his characteristic precision and restraint.

Later Years and Legacy (1974-1985)

Following the publication of "High Windows," Larkin's poetic output diminished significantly. Though he continued to write occasional poems, most of which would be published posthumously, he experienced what he described as a "creative drought." Various factors contributed to this decline in productivity—increasing administrative responsibilities at the library, health problems, and perhaps a sense that he had said what he needed to say in his poetry.

In 1975, Larkin was offered the post of Poet Laureate following the death of John Betjeman, but he declined, preferring to maintain his privacy and independence. He continued to receive literary honors, including the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1965 and the Companion of Honour in 1985. Despite his growing reputation, Larkin maintained his deliberately modest lifestyle in Hull, residing in a small flat until 1974, when he moved to a more spacious house in Newland Park.

Larkin's later years were marked by declining health and increasing pessimism. He suffered from oesophageal cancer, and the fear of death—a persistent theme in his poetry—became more immediate. Throughout this period, he maintained his relationships with Monica Jones, Maeve Brennan, and Betty Mackereth (his secretary at the library), though these connections were complicated by his inability or unwillingness to fully commit to any single relationship.

In June 1985, Larkin retired from his position at Hull University Library. A few months later, on December 2, 1985, he died of cancer at the age of 63. He was buried in the Cottingham municipal cemetery near Hull. In accordance with his wishes, his diaries were destroyed after his death, though his letters were preserved and later published, somewhat controversially, by Anthony Thwaite.

Larkin's death prompted an outpouring of tributes acknowledging his place as one of the most significant poets of his generation. The subsequent publication of "Selected Letters" (1992) and Andrew Motion's biography "Philip Larkin: A Writer's Life" (1993) sparked debate about Larkin's personal views and character, revealing aspects of his private life—including racist and misogynistic sentiments expressed in letters—that complicated his public legacy. This controversy highlighted the tension between appreciating Larkin's artistic achievement while acknowledging his personal failings, a debate that continues to influence his reputation.

Despite these controversies, Larkin's literary stature has remained secure. His influence on subsequent generations of poets, particularly in Britain, has been profound, and his best poems continue to be widely anthologized and studied. In 2016, he was commemorated with a memorial stone in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey, confirming his place in the canon of English literature.

Major Works and Literary Analysis

Poetry Collections

Larkin published four major collections of poetry during his lifetime:

1. "The North Ship" (1945) - His earliest collection shows the strong influence of Yeats in its lyricism and romantic impulses. While Larkin later distanced himself from these poems, they reveal a poet of technical accomplishment grappling with themes of isolation and temporal passage that would remain central to his work.
2. "The Less Deceived" (1955) - This breakthrough collection established Larkin's mature style and concerns. Poems like "Church Going," "Toads," and "Maiden Name" demonstrate his ability to transform ordinary experiences into profound meditations on humanity, time, and loss. The collection's title, drawn from "Deceptions," signals Larkin's commitment to clarity of vision and resistance to illusion.
3. "The Whitsun Weddings" (1964) - Often considered Larkin's masterpiece, this collection includes some of his most beloved poems, such as the title poem, "An Arundel Tomb," and "MCMXIV." The volume showcases Larkin's technical range and his ability to balance skepticism with moments of genuine, if qualified, affirmation.
4. "High Windows" (1974) - Larkin's final collection contains some of his most anthologized poems, including "This Be The Verse," "The Old Fools," and "Annus Mirabilis." The volume sometimes ventures into more explicit language and imagery while maintaining his characteristic precision and emotional honesty.

Novels

Larkin published two novels:

1. "Jill" (1946) - A coming-of-age story set at Oxford during wartime, exploring themes of social class, alienation, and fantasy.
2. "A Girl in Winter" (1947) - A more accomplished work focusing on a European refugee working in an English library, examining themes of displacement, isolation, and emotional connection.

Criticism and Prose

Larkin wrote extensively about literature and jazz:

1. "All What Jazz: A Record Diary" (1970) - A collection of his jazz reviews for the Daily Telegraph, revealing his conservative musical tastes and his sharp, opinionated prose style.
2. "Required Writing" (1983) - A collection of literary essays, reviews, and interviews that demonstrates Larkin's incisive critical intelligence and his views on poetry and the creative process.

Posthumous Publications

Following Larkin's death, several collections of previously unpublished or uncollected work appeared:

1. "Collected Poems" (1988) - Edited by Anthony Thwaite, this volume brought together Larkin's published collections along with uncollected and unpublished poems, providing a comprehensive overview of his poetic output.
2. "Selected Letters" (1992) - Edited by Anthony Thwaite, this controversial publication revealed aspects of Larkin's private character that complicated his public persona.
3. "Further Requirements" (2001) - A collection of interviews, broadcasts, and uncollected prose pieces that further illuminated Larkin's literary views and personality.

Literary Style and Themes

Technical Mastery

Larkin's technical accomplishment as a poet is widely acknowledged. Working primarily in traditional forms—sonnets, quatrains, and other regular stanzaic patterns—he demonstrated how such structures could accommodate modern subject matter and contemporary speech rhythms. His precise diction, meticulous attention to sound patterns, and skillful use of rhyme and meter create poems that seem both carefully crafted and naturally spoken, a balance that contributes to their accessibility and emotional impact.

Thematic Preoccupations

Several recurring themes define Larkin's body of work:

1. Mortality and the Passage of Time - From early poems like "Next, Please" to later works like "Aubade," Larkin confronts death with unflinching clarity, examining its implications for how we live and what we value.
2. Isolation and Failed Connection - Throughout his poetry, Larkin explores the difficulties of human relationships and the fundamental solitude of existence, as in "Talking in Bed" and "Self's the Man."
3. Disillusionment and Missed Opportunities - Poems like "Dockery and Son" and "I Remember, I Remember" meditate on paths not taken and the inevitable disappointments of adulthood.
4. The English Landscape and National Identity - Works such as "Here" and "Show Saturday" engage with the English countryside and provincial life, often with a complex mixture of affection and detachment.
5. Cultural and Social Change - In poems like "Annus Mirabilis" and "Going, Going," Larkin responds to the transformations of post-war Britain with characteristic ambivalence.

Critical Assessment

Critical opinion of Larkin has evolved over time, reflecting changing attitudes toward poetic tradition and the relationship between art and artist. Early reception often emphasized his accessibility and his position as a counter to modernist obscurity, with critics praising his craftsmanship and his ability to speak to common experiences. A. Alvarez famously criticized Larkin and other Movement poets for a "negative feedback" that limited poetry's emotional and imaginative range, while defenders valued precisely the restraint and skepticism that Alvarez found limiting.

Following the publication of Larkin's letters and Andrew Motion's biography, critical discussion shifted to include consideration of his personal views and their relation to his work. Some critics argued that the racist and misogynistic sentiments expressed in his private correspondence compromised his poetic achievement, while others maintained that the poems should be evaluated independently of their author's personal failings.

Recent criticism has sought more nuanced approaches, examining the complexities and contradictions within Larkin's work without either dismissing his problematic attitudes or separating them entirely from his art. Critics like James Booth have emphasized the performative aspects of Larkin's poetic persona and the way his work both embodies and critiques the social attitudes it expresses.

Despite these critical debates, Larkin's technical excellence and his ability to articulate universal experiences of loss, longing, and mortality ensure his continuing significance in the canon of English poetry. His influence on subsequent generations of poets, particularly in Britain, testifies to the enduring power of his distinctive voice.

Conclusion

Philip Larkin's life and work embody a series of paradoxes: a man who valued privacy yet produced poetry of profound universal resonance; a writer who maintained a deliberately modest public profile yet became one of the most celebrated poets of his generation; an artist whose technically accomplished verse expresses deep ambivalence about art's capacity to transcend the limitations of ordinary life.

His relatively small body of published work—fewer than 100 poems in his four major collections—belies his outsized influence on English poetry. Through his precise observation, technical mastery, and unflinching honesty, Larkin created a poetry that continues to speak powerfully to readers, offering not consolation but the cold comfort of shared recognition—of mortality, of disappointment, of moments of beauty and connection amidst life's inevitable diminishments.

As Larkin himself wrote in "An Arundel Tomb," what will survive of us is love—a statement he immediately qualified as "almost true," characteristic of his resistance to easy affirmation. Yet his poetry, in its clear-eyed examination of human experience, offers its own form of love—not sentimental or illusory, but attentive, honest, and enduring. In this, Philip Larkin's legacy as one of the essential poetic voices of the 20th century seems secure, surviving the man himself just as he both feared and hoped it might.