Synopses & Reviews
Focusing on Philip Larkin's individually published volumes, this book traces clearly the development of his poetic achievement. Arguing engagingly and setting close analysis of individual poems within a theoretical context, Andrew Swarbrick offers a fresh and timely reappraisal of one of this century's major writers.
Synopsis
Since his death in 1985, Philip Larkin, highly regarded as England's finest post-war poet, has become the subject of fierce debate. The publication of his Collected Poems, his letters, and his official biography have led to a radical reassessment of one of England's most popular and elusive writers. Focusing on Larkin's individually published Volumes, the book traces clearly the development of his poetic achievement. The opening chapters examine Larkin's earliest work and later chapters draw on a wide range of poetry to establish his central preoccupations and techniques. Arguing engagingly and setting close analyses of individual poems within a theoretical context, Andrew Swarbrick offers a fresh and timely reappraisal of one of this century's major writers.
Synopsis
This detailed study of Larkin's poetry, the first to take account of recent biographical and archival material, offers new insights into Larkin's development as a poet and a fresh assessment of his achievement. Focusing on Larkin's separately published volumes within the framework of the Collected Poems, this analysis of Larkin's practice and controversial status presents a poet more fundamentally challenging than often supposed. This book will appeal to the specialist, student and general reader alike.