Philip Arthur Larkin, CH, CBE, FRSL, (9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985) was an English poet, novelist and jazz critic. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. The West Midlands is a Metropolitan county in western central England with a population of 2591300 England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Kingston upon Hull ( almost invariably referred Humberside was a Non-metropolitan county of England from 1 April 1974 until 1 April 1996. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the Esophagus. There are various subtypes The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English __FORCETOC__ St John's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The word critic comes from the Greek el κριτικός ( el-Latn kritikós) "able to discern" which in turn derives from the word A librarian is an information Professional trained in Library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials The Order of the Companions of Honour is a British and Commonwealth Order. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain " Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The word critic comes from the Greek el κριτικός ( el-Latn kritikós) "able to discern" which in turn derives from the word He spent his working life as a university librarian and was offered the Poet Laureateship following the death of John Betjeman, but declined the post. A librarian is an information Professional trained in Library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials A Poet Laureate is a Poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for State occasions and other government events Sir John Betjeman, CBE ( 28 August 1906 &ndash 19 May 1984 was an English poet writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who Larkin is commonly regarded as one of the greatest English poets of the latter half of the twentieth century. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on He first came to prominence with the release of his third collection The Less Deceived in 1955. The Less Deceived, published in 1955 was Philip Larkin 's first mature collection of Poetry, having been preceded by the derivative North Ship The Whitsun Weddings and High Windows followed in 1964 and 1974. The Whitsun Weddings is a collection of 32 Poems by Philip Larkin. This page is about the book of poems by Philip Larkin For other uses see High Windows (disambiguation High Windows is a collection of poems by In 2003 Larkin was chosen as "the nation's best-loved poet" in a survey by the Poetry Book Society,^[1] and in 2008 The Times named Larkin as the greatest post-war writer. An opinion poll is a survey of Public opinion from a particular sample. The Poetry Book Society was founded by T S Eliot in 1953 and publishes the quarterly poetry journal Bulletin. The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ^[2]

Larkin was born in city of Coventry, West Midlands, England. Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. The West Midlands is a Metropolitan county in western central England with a population of 2591300 England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland From 1930 to 1940 he was educated at King Henry VIII School in Coventry, and in October 1940, in the midst of the Second World War, went up to St John's College, Oxford, to read English language and literature. You may be looking for King Henry VIII Grammar School, Wales King Henry VIII School is an Independent school comprising a senior school World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including __FORCETOC__ St John's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the Having been rejected for military service because of his poor eyesight, he was able, unlike many of his contemporaries, to follow the traditional full-length degree course, taking a first-class degree in 1943. Whilst at Oxford he met Kingsley Amis, who would become a lifelong friend and frequent correspondent. Sir Kingsley William Amis, CBE ( April 16, 1922 &ndash October 22, 1995) was an English Novelist, Shortly after graduating he was appointed municipal librarian at Wellington, Shropshire. Wellington is a town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England and now forms part of the New town In 1946, he became assistant librarian at University College, Leicester and in 1955 sub-librarian at Queen's University, Belfast. The University of Leicester is a research led university based in Leicester, England, with approximately 19000 registered students - about 12000 of them full-time Queen's University Belfast is a university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In March 1955, Larkin was appointed librarian at the University of Hull, a position he retained until his death. The University of Hull, also known as Hull University, is an English University, founded in 1927 located in Hull (or Kingston upon Hull) a

Life

1922 – 1950: Upbringing, education & early career

Larkin's parents' former Radford council house overlooking a small maintained spinny, once their garden. Radford is a suburb and electoral ward of Coventry, located approximately 2 miles north of Coventry city centre (photo 2008)

Philip Larkin was born on 9 August 1922 in Coventry, West Midlands, England, the only son and younger child of Sydney Larkin (1884–1948), who came from Lichfield, and his wife, Eva Emily Day (1886–1977) of Epping. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. The West Midlands is a Metropolitan county in western central England with a population of 2591300 England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland He lived with his family in Radford, Coventry until he was five years old. Radford is a suburb and electoral ward of Coventry, located approximately 2 miles north of Coventry city centre ^[3] From 1927 to 1945 the family home was 1 Manor Road, a large three-story detached house near the city centre that was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the Coventry ring road. ^[4] His sister Catherine, known as Kitty, was about 10 years older than himself. ^[5] His father, a self-made man who had risen to be Coventry City Treasurer,^[5] was a singular individual who combined a love of literature with an enthusiasm for Nazism, and had attended two Nuremberg rallies during the mid-30s. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German The Nuremberg Rally (officially Reichsparteitag, meaning national party convention was the annual rally of the NSDAP (Nazi Party in the years 1923 to 1938 in He introduced his son to the works of Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, Joyce and above all D. H. Lawrence. Ezra Weston Loomis Pound ( Hailey, Idaho Territory, United States October 30 1885 – Venice, Italy November 1 1972 was an American Expatriate Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM (September 26 1888 – January 4 1965 was a poet Dramatist, and Literary critic. David Herbert Richards Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930 was an English writer of the 20th century whose prolific and diverse output included Novels short ^[6] His mother, Eva, was a nervous passive woman, dominated by her husband.

Larkin's childhood was at first unusual: neither friends nor relatives ever visited the family home and he was educated by his mother and elder sister until the age of eight. ^[7] Despite this, and the stammer he had already developed, when he joined Coventry’s King Henry VIII Junior School he fitted in immediately and made close, long-standing friendships with James "Jim" Sutton, Colin Gunner and Noel "Josh" Hughes. You may be looking for King Henry VIII Grammar School, Wales King Henry VIII School is an Independent school comprising a senior school Although home life was relatively cold Larkin enjoyed support from his parents. For example, his deep passion for jazz was supported by purchases of a drum kit and a saxophone, supplemented with a subscription for Down Beat, the first of Larkin’s many jazz magazines. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Down Beat is an American Magazine devoted to "jazz blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively From the junior school he progressed on to King Henry VIII School senior school, and at the age of 16 Larkin fared relatively poorly when he sat his School Certificate exam. You may be looking for King Henry VIII Grammar School, Wales King Henry VIII School is an Independent school comprising a senior school However, he was allowed to stay on at school and two years later earned distinctions in English and History, and passed the extrance exams for St John’s College, Oxford to read English. __FORCETOC__ St John's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. ^[8]

Larkin commenced at Oxford University in October 1940, a year after the outbreak of World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Brideshead Revisited image had been put on hold, and most of the male students were studying for highly truncated degrees. Brideshead Revisited The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder is a Novel by the English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945 ^[9] Larkin himself failed his military medical, thanks to his poor eyesight, and was able to study for the full three years. Through his tutorial partner, Norman Iles, he met Kingsley Amis. Sir Kingsley William Amis, CBE ( April 16, 1922 &ndash October 22, 1995) was an English Novelist, Amis remained a close friend of Larkin throughout his life and encouraged his taste for ridicule and irreverence. Amis, Larkin and other university friends formed a group they titled “The Seven”. They met to discuss each others' poetry, to listen to jazz, and to drink enthusiastically. During this time he had his first real social interaction with the opposite sex, but made no romantic headway. ^[10] In 1943 he sat his finals, and, having dedicated much of his time to his own writing, was greatly surprised by being awarded a first-class degree. This article is about a type of examination for other uses see Final examination (disambiguation A final examination (or final ^[11]

In autumn 1943 Larkin was appointed librarian of the public library in Wellington, Shropshire. Wellington is a town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England and now forms part of the New town While working there, in the spring of 1944 he met his first girlfriend, Ruth Bowman, an academically ambitious 16-year-old schoolgirl. ^[12] In autumn 1945, Ruth's studies at King’s College, London began, and during his visits to her there the couple started sexual relations. King's College London is a British Higher education institution and co-founding constituent college of the federal University of London. By June 1946 Larkin was halfway through qualifying for membership of the Library Association and was appointed sub-librarian of University College, Leicester. The University of Leicester is a research led university based in Leicester, England, with approximately 19000 registered students - about 12000 of them full-time It was while visiting Larkin in Leicester and witnessing the Senior Common Room that Kingsley Amis found the inspiration to write Lucky Jim. In some universities in the United Kingdom — particularly collegiate universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Durham — the academic body Lucky Jim is a comic Novel written by Kingsley Amis, first published in 1954 by Victor Gollancz. Six weeks after his father's death from cancer in March 1948, Larkin proposed to Ruth, and that summer the couple spent their annual holiday touring Hardy country. The English author Thomas Hardy set all of his major novels in the south and southwest of England. ^[13]

1950 – 1969: Personal, poetic & professional prime

In June 1950 Larkin was appointed sub-librarian of Queen’s University, Belfast, a post he took up that September. Queen's University Belfast is a university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Prior to his departure he and Ruth split up. At some stage between his appointment to Queen’s and the calling off of the engagement, his relationship with Monica Jones, a lecturer in English at Leicester, became sexual. Margaret Monica Beale Jones ( 22 May 1922 &ndash 15 February 2001) was an English Academic and career-long companion to He spent five years in Belfast, which appear to have been the most contented of his life. While his relationship with Monica Jones developed, he also had a sexually adventurous affair with Patsy Strang, who at the time was in an open marriage with one of his colleagues. Open marriage typically refers to a Marriage in which the partners agree that each may engage in extramarital sexual relationships, without this being regarded as ^[14] At one stage she offered to leave her husband to marry Larkin. From summer 1951 onwards Larkin would holiday with Monica in various locations around the British Isles. While in Belfast he also had a significant, though sexually undeveloped friendship with Winifred Arnott, the subject of "Lines on a Young Lady's Photograph Album". This came to a close when she married in 1954. Also during this period he gave Kingsley Amis extensive advice while the latter was writing Lucky Jim. Sir Kingsley William Amis, CBE ( April 16, 1922 &ndash October 22, 1995) was an English Novelist, ^[15]

Larkin's former first floor flat overlooking Pearson Park

In 1955 Larkin was appointed Librarian at Hull University, a post he would hold until his death. The University of Hull, also known as Hull University, is an English University, founded in 1927 located in Hull (or Kingston upon Hull) a ^[16] For his first year he lodged in bedsits and then in 1956, at the age of 34, he for the first time rented a self-contained dwelling, a top-floor flat overlooking Hull's Pearson Park. This vantage point was later commemorated in the poem "High Windows". " High Windows " is a poem by Philip Larkin, published in the 1974 collection of the same name. ^[17] In the post-war years Hull University underwent an enormous expansion typical of the period. During the first 15 years of Larkin's time there, he was deeply involved throughout the creation of a new and thoroughly modern library that was built in two stages, and from 1967 named Brynmor Jones Library. Brynmor Jones Library ( BJL) is the main Library at the University of Hull. From 1957 until his death his secretary was Betty Mackereth. All access to him by his colleagues was through her and she came to know as much about Larkin's compartmentalised life as anyone. ^[18]

In February 1961 Larkin's friendship with his colleague Maeve Brennan became romantic, despite her strong Roman Catholic beliefs. ^[19] In spring 1963 Maeve persuaded him to attend a SCR dance with her, despite his preference for smaller gatherings. In some universities in the United Kingdom — particularly collegiate universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Durham — the academic body This seems to have been a pivotal occasion in their relationship, one which he memorialised in his longest and unfinished poem "The Dance". ^[20] Also at her prompting and around this time Larkin learnt to drive and bought a car. Around this time Monica Jones, whose parents had died in quick succession in autumn 1959 bought a holiday cottage in Haydon Bridge, near Hexham,^[21] which she and Larkin visited regularly. Haydon Bridge is a village in Northumberland, England, with a population of about 2000 Hexham New South Wales|Hexham (constituency Hexham is a Market town in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne. ^[22] His notable poem "Show Saturday" is a description of the 1973 Bellingham show in the North Tyne valley. Bellingham (ˡbɛlɪndʒəm) is a Village in Northumberland, to the north-west of Newcastle upon Tyne and situated on the River North Tyne. ^[23]

In 1964, in the aftermath of the release of The Whitsun Weddings Larkin was the subject of an episode of the arts programme Monitor. The Whitsun Weddings is a collection of 32 Poems by Philip Larkin. In its form of a series of interviews with John Betjeman in and around Hull it was largely responsible for the creation of Larkin's public persona. Sir John Betjeman, CBE ( 28 August 1906 &ndash 19 May 1984 was an English poet writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who Kingston upon Hull ( almost invariably referred

1969 – 1985: “Beyond the light stand failure and remorse”

Brynmor Jones Library, Hull. Brynmor Jones Library ( BJL) is the main Library at the University of Hull. (photo 2003)

The second, and much larger stage of Hull University's new Brynmor Jones Library was completed in 1969. Brynmor Jones Library ( BJL) is the main Library at the University of Hull. Larkin had had an important role in its coming into existence. ^[24] In October 1970 he was able to start work on compiling a new anthology, The Oxford Book of Twentieth-Century English Verse. The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse was a Poetry anthology edited by Philip Larkin, and published in 1973 by Oxford University Press He had been awarded a Visiting Fellowship at All Souls' College, Oxford for two academic terms, which allowed him to consult Oxford's Bodleian Library, a copyright library. All Souls College (in full The Warden and College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges The Bodleian Library ( the main Research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in England A national library is a Library specifically established by the Government of a country to serve as the preeminent repository of information for that country Larkin was a major contributor to the re-evaluation of the poetry of Thomas Hardy, which in comparison to his work as a novelist had been ignored; in Larkin's ‘idiosyncratic’ and ‘controversial’ anthology,^[25][26] Hardy received the longest selection. Thomas Hardy OM (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928 was an English novelist Short story writer and poet of the naturalist movement though he saw

In 1971 he began corresponding with his schoolfriend Colin Gunner, who had led a picaresque life. In the period 1973 to 1974 he was made an Honorary Fellow of St John's College, Oxford and awarded honorary degrees by Warwick, St Andrews and Sussex universities. __FORCETOC__ St John's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa ( Latin: 'for the sake of the honour' is an Academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding The University of Warwick is a British Campus university located on the outskirts of Coventry, West Midlands, England and is The University of St Andrews is the oldest University in Scotland and third oldest in the English-speaking world, having been founded between The University of Sussex is a British Campus university which is situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, and is from Brighton In January of 1974 Hull University informed Larkin that they were going to dispose of the building on Pearson Park in which he lived. Shortly afterwards he bought a detached house in a thoroughly suburban street called “Newland Park” and moved in.

Larkin's former house in Newland Park

Shortly after splitting up with Maeve Brennan in August 1973, Larkin attended W. H. Auden's memorial service in Oxford cathedral with Monica as his official partner. Wystan Hugh Auden (21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973 ˈwɪstən ˈhjuː ˈɔːdən who signed his works W Not to be confused with Christchurch, a city in New Zealand. Christ Church (Ædes Christi the temple or house of Christ and thus sometimes known as However, in March 1975 the relationship with Maeve restarted, and three weeks after this he started a secret affair with his secretary Betty Mackereth, writing the long-undiscovered poem "We met at the end of the party" for her. ^[27] Despite the logistical difficulties in having three relationships simultaneously, the situation continued until March 1978. From this moment on he and Monica were a monogamous couple. ^[28] Five years later, in 1983, Monica was hospitalised owing to shingles, and the severity of her symptoms including the effects of shingles on her eyes distressed Larkin. Herpes zoster (or simply zoster) commonly known as shingles, is a Viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with Blisters in a limited Regular care became necessary with general decline in her health, so within a month she moved into his Newland Park home and remained there for the rest of her life. ^[29]

At the memorial service of John Betjeman who had died in July 1984, Larkin was asked if he would accept the post of Poet Laureate but he declined, not least because he had long ceased to write poetry in a manner he regarded as meaningful. Sir John Betjeman, CBE ( 28 August 1906 &ndash 19 May 1984 was an English poet writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who A Poet Laureate is a Poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for State occasions and other government events ^[30] The following year Larkin began to suffer from oesophageal cancer and, on 11 June 1985, underwent exploratory surgery. Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the Esophagus. There are various subtypes Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) His cancer was found to have spread and was inoperable. On 28 November he collapsed and was readmitted to hospital. He died four days later, on 2 December 1985, at the age of 63, and was buried at the Cottingham Municipal Cemetery near Hull. Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Cottingham is a Village and Civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Kingston upon Hull ( almost invariably referred His gravestone reads simply “Philip Larkin, Writer”. ^[31]

On his deathbed Larkin had requested explicitly that his diaries be destroyed. This request was granted by Monica Jones and Betty Mackereth: the diaries were shredded page by page and then burnt. ^[32] On the subject of his other private papers and unpublished writings his will was found to be contradictory. Legal advice from a Q.C. left the issue in the lap of his literary executors, who decided the papers should not be destroyed. Queen's Counsel ( postnominal QC) &ndash known as King's Counsel ( KC) during the reign of a male sovereign  &ndash are ^[33]

When she died on 15 February 2001, Monica, who had been the major beneficiary of Larkin's will, in turn left about a million pounds in total to St Paul's Cathedral, Hexham Abbey and Durham Cathedral. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. St Paul's Cathedral, is the Anglican Cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. Hexham Abbey is a place of Christian worship in the town of Hexham, Northumberland, in north-east England. The Cathedral Church of Christ Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly referred to as Durham Cathedral, in the city of Durham, England ^[34]

Creative output

From his mid-teens Larkin “wrote ceaselessly”, producing both poetry, modelled on Eliot and W. H. Auden, and fiction. Wystan Hugh Auden (21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973 ˈwɪstən ˈhjuː ˈɔːdən who signed his works W He wrote five full-length novels, all of which he destroyed shortly after completion. While he was at Oxford University he published a poem for the first time: "Ultimatum" in The Listener. See also New Zealand Listener and Listener (musician and The Listener (TV series The Listener was a weekly Around this time he developed an alter ego for his prose called Brunette Coleman. Under this name he wrote two novellas Trouble at Willow Gables and Michaelmas Term at St Brides, as well as a supposed autobiography and an equally fictional creative manifesto called “What we are writing for”. Richard Bradford has written that these curious works show “three registers: cautious indifference, archly overwritten symbolism with a hint of Lawrence and prose that appears to disclose its writer’s involuntary feelings of sexual excitement. Richard Bradford (1932—2002 is a novelist best known for his 1968 novel Red Sky at Morning, a film version of which was released in 1971 ” ^[35] After these works Larkin started his first published novel Jill. This was published by Reginald A. Caton, a publisher of barely-legal pornography, who also issued serious fiction as a cover for his core activities. Reginald Ashley Caton ( 1897 - 1971) was an English publisher variously described as 'eccentric' 'raffish' a ' Miser ' and a 'rogue publisher'

Around the time that Jill was being prepared for publication, Caton asked Larkin if he wrote poetry as well, which resulted in The North Ship, a collection of poems written between 1942 and 1944 which showed the increasing influence of Yeats that was published three months before Jill. Immediately after completing Jill, Larkin started work on the novel A Girl in Winter, completing it in 1945. It was published in 1947 by Faber & Faber and well received, The Sunday Times calling it “an exquisite performance and nearly faultless”. Faber and Faber, often abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing The Sunday Times is a Sunday Broadsheet Newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. ^[36] Subsequently he made at least three extended attempts at writing a third novel, but none got further than a solid start. ^[37]

It was during Larkin’s five years in Belfast that he reached maturity as a poet. ^[38] The bulk of his next published collection of poems The Less Deceived was written here, though eight of the twenty-nine poems included were from the late 1940s. The Less Deceived, published in 1955 was Philip Larkin 's first mature collection of Poetry, having been preceded by the derivative North Ship It was during this time that he made his final attempts at novel writing, and also gave extensive help to Kingsley Amis with the latter’s first published novel Lucky Jim. Sir Kingsley William Amis, CBE ( April 16, 1922 &ndash October 22, 1995) was an English Novelist, Lucky Jim is a comic Novel written by Kingsley Amis, first published in 1954 by Victor Gollancz. In October 1954 an article in The Spectator made the first use of the title The Movement to describe the dominant trend in British post-war literature. For other uses see Spectator. The Spectator is a weekly British Magazine first published on 6 July This article is about a specific literary movement - for other literary movements see List of literary movements The Movement was a term ^[39] Various poems of his were included in a 1953 PEN Anthology that also included poems by Amis and Robert Conquest, and Larkin was seen to be a part of this grouping. Dr George Robert Ackworth Conquest (born July 15 1917) British Historian, became a well known writer and researcher on the Soviet Union

In November 1955 The Less Deceived was published by The Marvell Press, an independent start-up company operating out of Hessle just beyond the west border of Hull. The Less Deceived, published in 1955 was Philip Larkin 's first mature collection of Poetry, having been preceded by the derivative North Ship Hessle is a Town and Civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, situated west of Kingston upon Hull city centre Kingston upon Hull ( almost invariably referred At first the volume attracted little attention, but in December it was included in The Times' list of books of the year. The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ^[40] From this point the book's reputation spread and sales blossomed throughout 1956 and 1957. During his first five years in Hull the pressures of work slowed Larkin's output to an average of just two-and-a-half poems a year, but it was during this period that he wrote "An Arundel Tomb", "The Whitsun Weddings" and "Here". "An Arundel Tomb" is a poem by Philip Larkin, published in 1964 in his collection ''The Whitsun Weddings''. " The Whitsun Weddings " is one of the best known poems by UK poet Philip Larkin, and was published in the 1964 collection of the same name.

In 1963 Faber & Faber reissued Jill, including a long introduction by Larkin that included much information about his time at Oxford University and his friendship with Kingsley Amis. Faber and Faber, often abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the This acted as prelude to the release the following year of The Whitsun Weddings which confirmed his reputation: almost immediately after its publication he was elected to a Fellowship of the Royal Society of Literature. The Whitsun Weddings is a collection of 32 Poems by Philip Larkin. The Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain " In the years that followed Larkin wrote several of his most famous and iconic poems, such as "Annus Mirabilis", "High Windows" and "This Be The Verse". Annus mirabilis is a Latin phrase meaning "wonderful year" or "year of wonders" (or "year of miracles" " High Windows " is a poem by Philip Larkin, published in the 1974 collection of the same name. "This Be The Verse" is a short lyric poem by the English Poet Philip Larkin ( 1922 &ndash 1985) In the 1970s Larkin wrote a series of longer and more sober poems: "The Building", "The Old Fools" and "Aubade". An aubade is a Poem or Song of or about lovers separating at dawn

Larkin's final collection High Windows was published in June 1974. This page is about the book of poems by Philip Larkin For other uses see High Windows (disambiguation High Windows is a collection of poems by Its more direct use of language meant that it did not meet with uniform praise; nonetheless it sold over twenty thousand copies in its first year alone. For some critics it represents a falling-off from his previous two books,^[41] yet it contains a number of his much-loved pieces, including "This Be The Verse" and "The Explosion", as well as the title poem. "This Be The Verse" is a short lyric poem by the English Poet Philip Larkin ( 1922 &ndash 1985) " High Windows " is a poem by Philip Larkin, published in the 1974 collection of the same name. "Annus Mirabilis" (Year of Wonder), also from that volume, contains the frequently quoted observation that sexual intercourse began in 1963 which he claimed was “rather late for me” despite his having first had sexual relations in 1945. Bradford, prompted by comments in Maeve Brennan's memoir, suggests that the poem commemorates Larkin's relationship with Brennan moving from the romantic to the sexual. ^[42]

Later in 1974 he started work on his final major published poem "Aubade". It was completed in 1977 and published in the 23 December issue of the TLS. The Times Literary Supplement (or TLS, on the front page from 1969 is a weekly literary review published in London by News International ^[43] Subsequent to "Aubade" Larkin wrote only one poem to have attracted intense critical attention, the unpublished and intensely personal "Love Again". ^[44]

Although Larkin's earliest work shows in turn the influences of Eliot, Auden and Yeats, the development of his mature poetic identity in the early 1950s coincided with the growing influence on him of Thomas Hardy. Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM (September 26 1888 – January 4 1965 was a poet Dramatist, and Literary critic. Thomas Hardy OM (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928 was an English novelist Short story writer and poet of the naturalist movement though he saw ^[45] He is well-known for his use of colloquial language in his poetry, partly balanced by a similarly antique word choice. With fine use of enjambement and rhyme, his poetry is highly structured, but never rigid. Enjambment (also spelled enjambement) is the breaking of a syntactic unit (a Phrase, Clause, or sentence) by the end of a line or between two This article is about the poetic technique For the form of ice see Rime ice. Death and fatalism were recurring themes and subjects of his poetry, his final major poem "Aubade" being an example of this. Larkin specialised in making poetic the trivial, in finding significance in items of everyday commoness.

Coventry's inner ring road, as seen from approximately over where Larkin once lived in a now-demolished part of Manor Road. (photo 2007)

In 1972 he wrote the oft-quoted "Going, Going", a poem which expresses the romantic fatalism in his view of England which was typical of his later years. Fatalism is a Philosophical doctrine emphasizing the subjugation of all events or actions to fate or inevitable predetermination In it, he prophesies a complete destruction of the countryside, and expresses an idealised sense of national togetherness and identity: “And that will be England gone . . . it will linger on in galleries; but all that remains for us will be concrete and tyres”. The poem ends with the blunt statement, “I just think it will happen, soon”. ^[46]

Larkin was by contrast a notable critic of modernism in contemporary art and literature; his scepticism is at its most nuanced and illuminating in Required Writing, a collection of his book reviews and essays; and at its most inflamed and polemical in his introduction to his collected jazz reviews, All What Jazz, 126 record-review columns he wrote for the Daily Telegraph between 1961 and 1971, which contains an attack on modern jazz that widens into a wholesale critique of modernism in the arts. Modernism describes an array of Cultural movements rooted in the changes in Western society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century For "The Daily Telegraph" in Australia see The Daily Telegraph (Australia.

Legacy

Critical reputation

Headstone at Cottingham Cemetery, Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire

Larkin's posthumous reputation was affected by the publication of his official biography, Andrew Motion's Philip Larkin: A Writer's Life (1993), and Anthony Thwaite's edition of his letters (1992). Cottingham is a Village and Civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Andrew Motion, FRSL, (born 26 October 1952) is an English Poet, Novelist and Biographer, who is the Anthony Simon Thwaite, OBE, (born 1930 in Chester) is an English poet and writer These revealed his obsession with pornography, his racism, his increasing shift to the political right wing, and his habitual expressions of venom and spleen. Pornography or porn is the explicit depiction of Sexual subject matter with the sole intention of sexually exciting the viewer List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities These revelations have been dismissed by the author and critic Martin Amis (son of Kingsley Amis), who argues that the letters in particular show nothing more than a tendency for Larkin to tailor his words according to the recipient, rather than representing Larkin's true opinions. Martin Louis Amis (born 25 August 1949 is an English Novelist, Essayist and Short story Writer, the son of writer Kingsley This idea is developed in Richard Bradford's biography: he compares the style Larkin took in his correspondence with the author Barbara Pym with that he adopted with his old schoolfriend Colin Gunner. Barbara Mary Crampton Pym ( 2 June 1913 &ndash 11 January 1980) was an English Novelist Biography Pym was ^[47][48]

Despite controversy about his personal life and opinions, he remains one of Britain's most popular poets; three of his poems, "This Be The Verse", "The Whitsun Weddings" and "An Arundel Tomb", featured in the "Nation's Top 100 Poems" as voted for by viewers of the BBC's Bookworm in 1995. ^[49] Media interest in Larkin has increased in the twenty-first century. The 21st century is the current century of the Christian Era or Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. His poem At Grass is featured in one Anthology booklet of the GCSE English exam, and Afternoons appears in another, Best Words. The General Certificate of Secondary Education ( GCSE) is the name of an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject generally taken in a number of subjects by Larkin's The Whitsun Weddings collection is one of the available poetry texts in the AQA English Literature A Level syllabus, whilst High Windows is offered by the OCR board, and "An Arundel Tomb" in the Edexcel board Poetry Anthology. AQA ( Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) is an Examination board in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The A-level, short for Advanced Level, is a General Certificate of Education qualification in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, OCR ( Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations) is an Examination board that sets Examinations and awards qualifications (including GCSEs The Larkin Society was formed in 1995, ten years after the poet's death; its president is Anthony Thwaite, one of Larkin's literary executors.

A pamphlet of Larkin's most famous work was included with the Guardian newspaper of 14 March 2008. Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Larkin's biographer Andrew Motion contributed the foreword to the booklet. ^[50]

Recordings

In 1964 Larkin was interviewed by Sir John Betjeman for the BBC programme Monitor: Philip Larkin meets John Betjeman. ^[51] The film, together with the original rushes, is stored at the Larkin archive at the University of Hull. The Juncaceae, or the Rush Family, is a rather small monocot Flowering plant family ^[52]

Larkin was the subject of the South Bank Show in 1982. The South Bank Show is an award-winning Television arts magazine show made by London Weekend Television, presented by Melvyn Bragg, broadcast ^[53] Larkin did not appear on camera although Melvyn Bragg, in his introduction to the programme, stressed the poet had given his full cooperation. Melvyn Baron Bragg, FRSL, FRTS (born 6 October 1939) is a British author and broadcaster The programme featured contributions from Kingsley Amis, Andrew Motion and Alan Bennett. Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934 is an English Author and Tony Award -winning Playwright. Bennett read several of Larkin's works on an edition of "Poetry in Motion", broadcast by Channel 4 in 1990. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began ^[54]

After lying undiscovered in a Hornsea garage for over two decades, an unprecedented collection of Larkin audio tapes was found in 2006. Hornsea is a small Seaside resort Town and Civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England at the eastern end of the Trans The recordings were made by the poet in the early 1980s. Extracts can be heard during a Sky News report. Sky News is a rolling TV news channel providing 24 hour news coverage including the latest breaking news ^[55] His poetry-speaking voice was very different from his normal voice, which he described as 'halfway between the of drawl of Leicester and the laziness of Birmingham'. A programme examing the discovery in more depth, The Larkin Tapes, was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2008. ^[56]

Fiction based on Larkin's life

In 1999, Oliver Ford Davies starred in Ben Brown's play Larkin With Women at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, reprising his role at the Orange Tree Theatre, London, in 2006. Oliver Robert Ford Davies (born August 12 1939) is a British actor and writer The Stephen Joseph Theatre is a Theatre in the round in Scarborough, England that was founded by Stephen Joseph and was the first theatre in The Orange Tree Theatre is a 172-seat theatre at 1 Clarence Street Richmond upon Thames in south west London built specifically The play was published by Larkin's own publishers, Faber. Three years later Sir Tom Courtenay debuted his one-man play Pretending to Be Me at the West Yorkshire Playhouse,^[57][58] later transferring the production to the Comedy Theatre in London's West End. Sir Thomas Daniel Courtenay (pronounced "Courtney" born 25 February 1937) is an English Actor who came to prominence in the early The West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, England is a theatre which opened in March 1990 as part of the regeneration of the Quarry Hill For the theatre in Melbourne Australia see Comedy Theatre Melbourne The Comedy Theatre, is a West End Theatre, and opened on Panton An audio recording of the play, which is based on Larkin's letters, interviews, diaries and verse, was released in 2005. ^[59]

In 2003, BBC Two broadcast a play, titled Love Again, that dealt with the last thirty years of Larkin's life (though not shot anywhere near Hull). If you're looking for the Cascada song see Everytime We Touch (album "Love Again" is a song by Sharon Sheeley, released The lead role was played by Hugh Bonneville,^[60] and in the same year Channel 4 broadcast the documentary Philip Larkin, Love and Death in Hull. Hugh Bonneville (born 10 November 1963) is an English stage film and television Actor. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began ^[61]

The writer and critic David Quantick parodied Larkin's poem An Arundel Tomb during his comedy programme One again on BBC Radio 4 in the same month,^[62] with the poet peppering his work with references to guns and other weaponry. David Quantick (born 1961, Wortley, South Yorkshire, England) is a freelance Journalist, Writer and critic who specialises Mathematics For any number x: x ·1 = 1· x = x (1 is the multiplicative identity In the sketch, Larkin answers the telephone to Kingsley Amis and agrees to meet his friend in the pub later.

In his acclaimed play The History Boys (2004) Alan Bennett quotes from Larkin's "MCMXIV" and the character of the Headmaster, a geography graduate from Hull, refers to Larkin as 'the Himmler of the accessions desk'. The History Boys is a play by English playwright Alan Bennett. " MCMXIV " (1914 is a poem written by English poet Philip Larkin. Geography (from Greek γεωγραφία - geografia) is the study of the Earth and its lands features inhabitants and phenomena Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS. ^[63]

In 1957 his friend Robert Conquest, of the group known as The Movement, played a practical joke on him. Dr George Robert Ackworth Conquest (born July 15 1917) British Historian, became a well known writer and researcher on the Soviet Union This article is about a specific literary movement - for other literary movements see List of literary movements The Movement was a term A practical joke or prank is a stunt or trick to purposely make someone feel foolish or victimized usually for humor The story was the subject of the comedy radio play by Chris Harrald, Mr Larkin's Awkward Day, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday 29 April 2008. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[64] It tells the true story of the joke that had Larkin fearing he might be sent to prison. In September 1957, a pre-fame Larkin prepares for another ordinary day and picks up his post. But one letter stands out: an official-looking envelope embossed with the words Scotland Yard. New Scotland Yard or Scotland Yard, informally known as The Yard and NSY, is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service, responsible The letter reveals that there is an ongoing investigation into him, conducted under the Obscene Publications Act 1921. Since 1857, a series of Obscenity Laws known as the Obscene Publications Acts have governed what can be published in England and Wales The letter informs Larkin that he might have to appear in court since it is alleged he has been buying pornography – and he knows all too well that he has. Larkin begins to fret about what to do – should he destroy the evidence under the gaze of a watchful landlady before the police arrive? Eventually, he goes to his librarian job. As he leaves the library he freezes when Inspector Cough introduces himself and says that he is very interested in Larkin's literary tastes. Larkin begins to defend himself until it transpires that the men have crossed wires – one fears he is being quizzed about purchasing dubious magazines, the other thinks he is having a friendly chat about literature. Finally, Larkin prises himself free from the Inspector to dash off to a meeting with his solicitors, who ask him what journals he has been buying. After he returns to his lodgings his landlady knocks on Larkin's door – someone wants him on the phone. It's Larkin's historian friend, Bob Conquest, and he is laughing. He asks Larkin about the silly joke he played on him, the embossed envelope and so on. When it becomes clear that Larkin was completely taken in, Conquest offers to pay his solicitors' costs. ^[65]

Works

Poetry

Main article: List of poems by Philip Larkin

• The North Ship (1945)
• XX Poems (1951) (privately printed)
• The Less Deceived (1955)
  • "Church Going"
  • "Toads"
  • "Maiden Name"
  • "Born Yesterday"
  • "Lines on a Young Lady's Autograph Album"
• The Whitsun Weddings (1964)
  • "The Whitsun Weddings"
  • "An Arundel Tomb"
  • "A Study of Reading Habits"
  • "Ambulances"
  • "Mr Bleaney"
• High Windows (1974)
  • "Homage to a Government
  • "This Be The Verse"
  • "Annus Mirabilis"
  • "The Explosion"
  • "The Building"
  • "High Windows"
• Collected Poems (1988) (arranged in chronological order)
  • "Aubade" (first published 1977)
  • "Party Politics" (last published poem)
  • "The Dance" (unfinished & unpublished)
  • "Love Again" (unpublished)
• Collected Poems (2003) (the four published collections plus two appendices of all other published poems, including those otherwise–unpublished parts of XX Poems)

Fiction

• Jill (1946) ISBN 0-87951-961-4
• A Girl in Winter (1947) ISBN 0-87951-217-2
• "Trouble at Willow Gables" and Other Fiction 1943–1953 (2002) (writing as "Brunette Coleman") ISBN 0-571-20347-7

Non-fiction

• All What Jazz: A Record Diary 1961–1971
• Required Writing: Miscellaneous Pieces 1955–1982 (1983)
• Further Requirements: Interviews, Broadcasts, Statements and Book Reviews 1952–1985
• Brynmor Jones Library, 1929–79 (1979) ISBN 0-8595-8538-7

Miscellaneous

• The Oxford Book of Twentieth-Century English Verse (as editor) (1973)

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

Plays about Larkin

External links

• The Philip Larkin Society
• Poetry Archive: Philip Larkin
• Channel 4 Philip Larkin biography
• The Philip Larkin Centre for Poetry and Creative Writing
• John Banville, Homage to Philip Larkin, New York Review of Books 23 February 2006 (a review of the two Collected Poems (1988 & 2003), the Selected Letters, Required Writing and the Motion & Bradford biographies)
• Mark Brown, Photographer's papers reveal image-conscious Larkin, The Guardian, Wednesday 7 May 2008
• Christopher Fletcher, Revealingly yours, Philip Larkin, The Sunday Times 11 May 2008