Philip Larkin
(1922–1985)

Should a poem be heavily symbolic and filled with images or should it be simple and straightforward? Few poets made better use of the ordinary in both content and style than did Philip Larkin. Once connected with "The Movement," a group of poets whose work first appeared in Robert Conquest's 1956 anthology New Lines, Larkin then established his own unique place in contemporary literature. Writing in a poetic form that approximated conversation, he raised familiar experiences to the level of art. His poems were often wry, self-critical, and understated—"part sigh, part affirmation," as one critic stated. Poetry for Larkin was a part-time job; his full-time job was that of librarian at the University of Hull, a major seaport on the east coast of England.

Larkin was born in Coventry, England. A graduate of St. John's College, Oxford, Larkin began his writing career as a novelist. He later served as jazz correspondent for the Daily Telegraph. His poetry, which was the source of his international fame, displays a clear-eyed honesty that captures moments of startling truth. Often it contains a narrator who observes the world around him with detachment. Larkin's poetry has frequently been compared with that Thomas Hardy, whom he admired.

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