Philip Larkin (1922-1985)
1 _ Philip Larkin was a leading British poet of his time. He was not a prolific writer. He published just four major collections of his poems and his reputation (fame) rests on the poems of these collections.
2 _ Larkin was a man of retiring habits and unsocialable by temperament. The social and political atmosphere of Oxford University encouraged him to develop a pragmatic (practical) approach towards life and literature.
3 _ Larkin was deeply aware of the problems around him. Like other modern poets, he also depicts reality in his work. His general out look on life was gloomy and pessimistic, and his poetry is deeply coloured by this out look. Irony is one of the most important features of Larkin's poetry. (His style to contrast two things).
4 _ The most common themes of Larkin's poems are time , death , love , change , old age , disappointment in life , pressures of society on the individual , isolation , etc.
5 _ For a long time , Larkin was a hard drinker. He was a confirmed sceptic (nonbeliever on God); without any comfort and solace in life.
To conclude, we can say that he has been regarded as one of the most pessimistic poets. He emphasizes on failure and frustration in human life. One critic says about Larkin: "The saddest heart in the post_war supermarket
