PHILIP LARKIN – AS A POET
A sign of revolution, revolution, symbol of dawn amalgam of antiquity and modernity modernity an allurement for the reader of all the ages Philip Larkin is that bud of modern poetry. He has spread fragrance of delight in the garden of English literature. He seems to be highly influenced by obert !rowning, "homas Hardy, obert #rost and ichard $ilbur. He has brought %est and %eal in his poetry. He e&perimented in meter and made his own nouns, phases and ad'ectiv ad'ectives. es. He inserts inserts colloqu colloquial ial languag language e and suggest suggestive ive imagery imagery.. "he "he chief chief weapo weapon n in Larki Larkin( n(s s hand hand is irony irony and satir satire. e. Larki Larkin n is nosta nostalg lgic ic there therefo fore re we find find allusions from English literature, history, myths etc. we find epigrammatic sentences where his tone is cynical. He deals with variety of themes as death of values, futile struggle of life, loneliness of modern man. )n his love poems the success of love can rarely be seen. An agnostic poet inserts the theme of nihilism and anti*religion. anti*religion. He also gives psychological penetration of modern man. Philip Arthur Larkin was born on August +, +-- in oventry. He was the second child and only son of his parents. After leaving /ing Henry 0))), he went to 1t. 2ohn(s ollege 3&ford and despite the war was able to complete his degree Larkin failed his army medical because of poor eye sight. He graduated in +45 with first class honours( in English. "he first of his poems to be published in a national weekly was 67ltimatum8 which appear in the listener 9ovember -: +4;.His other poems were published in 3&ford poetry <+4-*+45=.)n +4> ten of his poems, which later that year were to be included in the 9orth ship appeared in poetry from 3&ford in war time two novels 2ill and a girl in winter were published in +4? and 4@ respectively. A collection collection of his essays and reviews were published published in 9ovember 9ovember +:5 a required required writings, miscellaneous pieces +>>*+:- and won the $.H 1mith literary award for +:4.Larkin received many award in reorgani%ation of his writings, especially in his later years. )n +@> he was awarded the !E +@?. He was made the companion companion of literature. literature. )n +@: served on the literature panel of Arts between between +:; * +:-.He was made on honorary honorary fellow of library Associate Associate in +:;.)n +:- university of hull made him a professor. "here is a list of award in Larkin(s life. After the #irst $orld $ar, $ar, people had no aim. "hey had seen the destruction destruction on one side and on the other side were helpless men. /eeping this in mind, the poems were written on the lost generation who had no aim left in life e&cept wandering and whoring. $.! $.! eats rose rose up and bega began n to write write new sort of poetr poetry y. He broug brought ht optim optimism ism,, symbolism and heroic poetry. "he ob'ectivity was brought in poetry. "his poetry actually began to guide people. )t proved to be a stimulus and the ray of hope for the modern man, eatarian Era from +5;*+>; brought %est and %eal and tried to wake the people. 1
"his "his was was the posit positio ion n of poetr poetry y before before Lark Larkin in with with the the adve advent nt of Lark Larkin( in(s s poetr poetry y. eatarian poetry started losing its value. )t is because Larkin did not follow any single poet but in a blend of numerous poets. He took the best trait from various poets. Larkin took symbolism from eats. eats. He seems to be highly influenced by "homas Hardy(s tragic vision. Bue to his melodist touch, he has been called a grave yard poet who focuses the uselessness of life. 1o, he has grasped grasped the philoso philosophy phy of
"he "he symbo symboll Larki Larkin n inser inserts ts in his his poet poetry ry is un*p un*para aralle llell and un chall challen enge geabl able. e. "he "he apparent simple poems of hurch going( Fr. !leaney( and Ambulance( are embedded with the pearls of symbolism. )n church going the poet symboli%es himself with the modern man and his attitude towards religion and on the other side religion losing place in modern time. Yet stop did; nfect often do! "nd always end much at a loss like this#.
Fr. Fr. !lea !leaney ney is anoth another er magnif magnific icent ent symbo symbolic lic poem poem where where the main main chara characte cterr Fr !leaney symboli%es the modern man his casualness and aimless life, his critici%ing past and inability inability to create create a new world. "hus speaker( speaker(s s using using !leaney !leaney(s (s room depicts depicts modern man(s standard. "he speaker comes to live in a boarding room but scorns at !leaney(s low standard aimless and lonely life. $%hat how we live measures our own nature.#
)n another symbolically striking poem Ambulances(C he symbolically paints death and psychoanalysis of modern man regarding death Ambulances signify death it rooms about in the city modern man is so much busy in his life that death shakes him but for a little time. He takes death positively where man will en'oy eternal peace. $%hey years! the unique random blend of families and fashions! there.#
"he use of diction in Larkin(s poems is splendid. He uses symbolic words. "he words perfectly suit the main theme. #or instance he uses the word step( instead of enter( in the poem church going( which shows his unwillingness and lack of interest towards 2
religion which is a theme of the poem. )n another poem he uses the word 'abbering(, Fr. !leaney, referring to the unstable culture which modern man has made by blending various cultures. )n the same poem the word garden signifies the beauty of world life which man can never see because they never try for it. As in the poem there is a curtain between !leaney room and the Garden which !leaney has never seen. )n the poem Ambulance Ambulance he inserts the dreadful words words giving an impact of Ambulance Ambulance and death like bloodless, white red &lanket rightly saidC “%ime and death dominate Larkin#s poetry in a comple' way”
Like modern poets his poetry is enriched with bundle of themes. Beath theme is one of the recurrent themes of his poems. Larkin writes about the death of values futility of life and futile struggle. Larkin writes many love poems as well. However the success of love can be seen very rare in his poetry. He does not get reciprocity in love. His anti*religious theme is prominent in his poems. 9ihilism, triviality, lack of identification is favourite themes of Lark Larkin. in. Psycho Psycholo logic gical al pene penetra tratio tion n is also also dealt dealt in his poems. poems. Beath Beath theme theme lurks lurks throughout the poem "mbulances "mbulances where ambulance stands for death(. “"ll streets in time are visited “
Beath of man is not a loss of a single life but a whole pattern of life style. )n Fr. !leaney gain departure of !leaney shows death. )n (hurch )oing the the decay of churches churches is the death of religious values. "hus Larkin in each of his poems, maintains the tradition of theme of death. Aimlessnes Aimlessness s and futility of man(s life in Larkin(s poetry, he portrays aimlessness of modern man. )n the poem the poet is seen wandering and suddenly he see(s church and steps in to it. $Yet stop did! in fact often do#
has no aim and he spends most of his time with in four wall of his room. *r. &leaney has Agnostic touch can can clearly be be evident evident in his entire entire poems poems e.g. hurch hurch Going( Going( thoroughly thoroughly is agnostic poem where he mocks at the losing condition of churches and fall of religious values. Larkin(s wit and intelligence is lurid enough. He makes use of various techniques to enhance the charm of his poems. "he most frequent o his techniques is irony and satire. "here is an irony and satire upon modern man in the poem hurch Going(. "he poet shoots with irony on the emptiness of modern man(s spirit including him. He also waves the religious values losing their significance and inability to produce the earlier satisfaction. His satire becomes prominent as he saysC 3
“+eflect the place was not worth stopping for”
His irony its clima& when he wonders who will be the last person on earth to visit the church. He ironically statesC $"nd death! and thoughts of these for which was built#
He means to state that both people and church have lost the way.8 Larkin uses irony in *r. &leaney where where he frowns and disgusts at his living standard, symbolic symbolically ally referring referring to modern modern man(s man(s scorning scorning over past but uses his sauce sauce for throwing ash of his cigarette. “,n the same sauce souvenir and try”
)n $"mbulances# he he satiri%es man(s business for worldly pursuits with this world for entering in to the eternal world. "he use of the word pour sour( is also ironical in the poem where modern man needs to pity on himself rather sympathi%ing with others. “Poor soul; they whisper at their own distress”
)n all the poems of Larkin we find suggestive imagery insert in. )n Fr !leaney he uses the image of an upright chair referring to introvertedness of modern man cotton wool stands for protection. )n church going the image of museum is suggestive which hints at the mere visiting place. "he Ambulances( refer to protection. olloquial olloquial and lucid language is the land mark of Larkin(s Larkin(s poetry. )t serves as a merit to his poetry where his tone is melancholic. )n a lucid language Larkin cunningly inserts and decorates his poems with wisdom capsules in the form of epigrammatic sentences. As in hurch hurch Going( Going( he writeC writeC $" hunger in himself to be more serious#
"he hunger refers to the hunger of knowledge. )n a single sentence he tells modern man that even the ruined and damaged building of churches will continue to attract the people for its knowledge and wisdom. Larkin(s main interest is Modern man’ . He sticks to modern man as a leach. He has peeped deep down inside human brain. His analysis proves his keen research on modern man. "his is the reason he moves his poem on the wheels of sub'ect matter of modern modern man. )t is evident evident in *r. &leaney where where the whole poem moves through this modern manC $%his was *r &leaney#s room! -e stayed# staye d#
)n church going it is $# where where the modern man hidesC 4
$,nce can sure there#s nothing going on;
He e&perimented with the meter too. )n most of his poems he uses amid pentameter. He has used
"here are few critics who critici%e Larkin on various grounds. He is known as a grave yard poet because of ever use of the image of death. ritics critici%e him for being a pessimist and term him a melodist( who see(s one side of the picture. He has no faith and does not believe in religion as far as his philosophy is concerned. !ut one must keep in mind instead of being agnostic he breaks the shell of agnosticism when he saysC in hurch Going(, $/hich! he once heard! was proper to grow wise in#
)t is his Hardian trait that runs through his philosophy. As far as his pessimism is concerned, he is clearly seen to be optimistic at the end of church going and Ambulance where on one hand he says that the importance of church will remain forever and in the other poem he takes death positively and as eternal peace for man. Let us gather the grain of heap by praising this embodiment of intellect Hardian spirit possesses the outstanding ability to move the readers with his themes though filled with pathos but silhouette us against a back drop of fate , and render us final for imagination and to achieve it . 5
Larkin as he now saw had only to feel simply without e&aggeration. His style and technique, symbols and imagery have irresistible temptation. "he universality of themes will continue till end of the world. He is that bud of English Literature who has spread the fragrance of truth and reality style and uniqueness in the garden of English poetry.
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