Philip Larkin (1922-1985) is undoubtedly one of the foremost English poets of the post-war period, and certainly the most popular. Although he was a sparse writer, he managed to establish himself as the most authentic and robust voice of his generation. This volume contains fifty poems, an extensive selection not only from the four collections published by Larkin during his lifetime, but also from his uncollected works.
Among these poems are some of the most well-known and memorable, such as "An Arundel Tomb," "High Windows," "Let This be a Song," "Annus Mirabilis," and "The Morning Song." Larkin's poems are distinguished by their tight structure, their flawless technique – the ingenious use of rhyme in perfectly natural and unpretentious speech – their stoic humor, which often turns into relentless self-deprecation, as well as their deep skepticism, which reaches the edge of extreme pessimism.
As noted by another significant poet, the American Robert Lowell, "Larkin’s poetry makes other poets appear outdated. He was a renewer of the poetic art. No technique or poetic school could give his words such poignant power." In addition to poetry, Larkin published two novels, a volume of essays on jazz, and was the editor of the anthology The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse (1973), a work that reveals Larkin's strong love for the poetry of G. M. Hynd, Thomas Hardy, and W. H. Auden.
Rightly characterized as "the most English of English poets," many of his poems critique the morals of his country while simultaneously extolling the uniqueness of its cultural tradition. "Larkin is a tender observer of life." JOHN BETJEMAN "Even those who do not particularly love poetry will discover in Larkin's poems those elements that offer both great pleasure and comfort." X. J. KENNEDY "Larkin's poems, when viewed as a whole, reveal the evolution of a leading poet who never ceased to experiment, renew his material, reject anything superfluous, and create." ANTHONY THWAITE "Larkin is not a nature lover. Nature for him is important because it offers the opportunity to analyze the human condition in depth." ANDREW MOTION
