Philip Larkin
English poet known for glum accuracy and lowered expectations.
Philip Arthur Larkin (9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. Born in Coventry, he was the only son of Sydney Larkin, the city treasurer, and his wife Eva. His father, a self-made man with a love of literature and an enthusiasm for Nazism, introduced him to modernist writers, while his mother was a nervous, passive woman. Larkin was educated at home until age eight, developed a stammer, and then attended King Henry VIII Junior School, where he formed lasting friendships. He earned a Double First in English from Oxford in 1943 before becoming a librarian. For thirty years he worked with distinction as university librarian at the Brynmor Jones Library at the University of Hull, where he produced the majority of his published work.
His first poetry collection, *The North Ship*, appeared in 1945, followed by two novels, *Jill* (1946) and *A Girl in Winter* (1947). He achieved prominence with *The Less Deceived* (1955), followed by *The Whitsun Weddings* (1964) and *High Windows* (1974). He served as jazz critic for *The Daily Telegraph* from 1961 to 1971, with articles collected in *All What Jazz*, and edited *The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse* (1973). He received the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry and declined the Poet Laureateship in 1984. His poems are marked by what Andrew Motion called “a very English, glum accuracy” and what Donald Davie described as “lowered sights and diminished expectations.” Influenced by W. H. Auden, W. B. Yeats, and Thomas Hardy, his verse is highly structured yet flexible. Posthumous publication of his letters in 1992 sparked controversy over his personal views, with some critics calling him racist and misogynist, though others argued the worst evidence was crass letters and a taste for soft pornography. Despite this, a 2003 survey named him Britain’s best-loved poet of the previous 50 years, and in 2008 *The Times* named him Britain’s greatest post-war writer. Hull commemorated him with the Larkin 25 Festival in 2010, unveiling a statue, and in 2016 a floor stone memorial was placed at Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey.
- born
- 9 August 1922
- died
- 2 December 1985
- field
- Poetry, fiction, librarianship
- nationality
- English
- known_for
- Poetry collections The Less Deceived, The Whitsun Weddings, High Windows; jazz criticism; declining Poet Laureate
Lore & Background
Philip Arthur Larkin (1922–1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. He was born in Coventry, the only son and younger child of Sydney Larkin, a self-made city treasurer with a love of literature and an enthusiasm for Nazism, and his wife Eva. His early childhood was unusual: he was educated at home until age eight, no friends or relatives visited, and he developed a stammer. He later attended King Henry VIII Junior School in Coventry, where he formed lasting friendships. After taking a Double First in English from Oxford in 1943, he became a librarian. For thirty years he worked with distinction as university librarian at the Brynmor Jones Library at the University of Hull, where he produced the greater part of his published work. His first poetry collection, *The North Ship*, appeared in 1945, followed by two novels, *Jill* and *A Girl in Winter*. He came to prominence in 1955 with *The Less Deceived*, then *The Whitsun Weddings* (1964) and *High Windows* (1974). He also served as jazz critic for *The Daily Telegraph* from 1961 to 1971 and edited *The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse* (1973). His poems are marked by what Andrew Motion called “a very English, glum accuracy” about emotions, places, and relationships, and what Donald Davie described as “lowered sights and diminished expectations.” Eric Homberger called him “the saddest heart in the post-war supermarket”; Larkin himself said deprivation for him was “what daffodils were for Wordsworth.” Influenced by W. H. Auden, W. B. Yeats, and Thomas Hardy, his verse is highly structured yet flexible. Jean Hartley described his work as a “piquant mixture of lyricism and discontent.” His public persona was that of a no-nonsense, solitary Englishman who disliked fame. He was offered, but declined, the position of Poet Laureate in 1984. Posthumous publication of his letters in 1992 triggered controversy about his personal life and political views, with Lisa Jardine calling him a “casual, habitual racist, and an easy misogynist,” though academic John Osborne argued in 2008 that the worst discovered were some crass letters and a taste for soft porn. Despite this, in 2003 he was chosen as Britain’s best-loved poet of the previous 50 years, and in 2008 *The Times* named him Britain’s greatest post-war writer. He was honoured with a statue in Hull in 2010 and a floor stone memorial at Poets’
Reader's Guide
Larkin's significance lies in his post-war poetry that captured a distinctly English mood of disappointment and quiet endurance. His work, influenced by W. H. Auden, W. B. Despite a public persona of a no-nonsense solitary Englishman, the posthumous publication of his letters in 1992 sparked controversy over his personal life and political views, with some calling him a 'casual, habitual racist, and an easy misogynist' while others argued the worst evidence was 'some crass letters and a taste for porn softer than what passes for mainstream entertainment'. Nevertheless, in 2003 he was chosen as Britain's best-loved poet of the previous 50 years, and in 2008 The Times named him Britain's greatest post-war writer.
Did You Know?
- Larkin was offered but declined the position of Poet Laureate in 1984.
- He worked for thirty years as university librarian at the Brynmor Jones Library at the University of Hull.
- His father attended two Nuremberg rallies during the mid-1930s.
- A floor stone memorial for Larkin was unveiled at Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey on 2 December 2016.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Philip Larkin?
Philip Larkin (1922–1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian who became one of the most widely read voices in mid-century British literature. He is best known for three major poetry collections and a distinctive, unsentimental approach to everyday life.
What are Philip Larkin's major works?
His three principal poetry collections are The Less Deceived (1955), The Whitsun Weddings (1964), and High Windows (1974). He also published the novel The Windows and was a well-regarded jazz critic.
What is Philip Larkin's poetic style like?
His verse is often described as marked by a dry, distinctly English precision about ordinary emotions, places, and relationships. Critics have noted a quality of lowered sights and diminished expectations, where grandeur is deliberately set aside in favor of honest, understated observation.
Why is Philip Larkin important to English poetry?
Larkin gave voice to a generation's quiet disillusionment with optimism and grand narratives, making him a touchstone for readers who find comfort in restraint rather than exaltation. His refusal of the Poet Laureate post, his jazz criticism, and his influence on subsequent British poets all cement his status as a defining literary figure of the twentieth century.
Did Philip Larkin ever become Poet Laureate?
No, Larkin famously turned down the appointment, reportedly telling a friend he would die before accepting the role. He spent most of his professional life working as a librarian in various English towns.
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