Larkin Poems Context Flashcards
Give 2 pieces of context for Wires
- Larkin and the Movement
- This England - 1950s Britain
How does the Movement link to Wires?
- Larkin referred to his work as ‘sad-eyed realism’; poetry depicting the pain, uncertainty, and compromise of everyday life
- the Movement portrayed unsentimental, honest, realistic depictions of the day-to-day
- Wires is about social conformity and societal expectations that affect everyone
- Wires also portrays many stylistic and technical features of the Movement
How does 1950s Britain link to Wires?
- Britain’s national identity shifted in the aftermath of WWII, as the former global superpower became much less influential
- Key Dates:
- 1945: WWII ended, Labour party comes to power promising to create a fairer, more equal Britain
- 1948: NHS created
- 1954: Food Rationing stops
- 1955: The Less Deceived published
- 1950s: Cold War begins
- Although Larkin is not especially a political poet, we might describe his views as being conservative
- shifting identity, the loss of power and control, and disillusionment are all explored in Wires
Give 3 pieces of context for Next, Please
- The Movement
- Preoccupation with Death
- Mid-Century Expectations & 1950s consumer culture.
how does The Movement link to Next, Please
- The Movement rejected experimental modernism which they saw as pretentious and disconnected from everyday reality.
- Their work was unsentimental, rational, and rooted in a nostalgic idea of English identity, and they favoured poetry that used traditional forms and structures
- Larkin referred to his own work as ‘sad-eyed realism’- poetry depicting the pain, uncertainty, and compromise of everyday life
how does Larkin’s preoccupation with death link to Next, Please
Larkin’s poems were written in the shadow of WWII – an event which led to a significant loss of life – and just before The Cold War, when nuclear testing was becoming more common – foreshadowing further loss of life. This helps to explain Larkin’s focus on death and mortality in various poems from The Less Deceived.
how does Mid-Century Expectations & 1950s consumer culture link to Next, Please
- The changing landscape of world politics and Britain’s difficult financial position meant that the British empire was slowly being dismantled. This led to a change in Britain’s national identity as it became much less influential - disillusionment
- People also felt a renewed sense of optimism, seeing the post-war period as a chance to start again and make Britain a more equal country; perhaps this led Larkin to think people were always expecting too much of the future and not facing the current realities. The painful austerity of post-war years, was made worse by contemporary hopes for a rapid transformation and opening-up of a stagnant society that were never met in full measure
- The ideology of the American Dream also started to influence British thinking and culture
- Larkin transparently belongs to a generation who hoped for much after the war, and were disappointed; his disappointment did not make him angry, but contributed to a strong but gentle irony; any ideal exists only to be betrayed, and therefore perhaps it is better not to have ideals at all
give a piece of historical context for Wedding Wind
Larkin was critical of the post-WWII marriage boom. Larkin believed those who married post-WWII did so for legal purposes and convenience rather than love; Larkin had a cynical view of this behaviour.
give 2 pieces of biographical context for Wedding Wind
- Larkin’s parents endured a difficult marriage, and this was keenly felt by Larkin, explored in his poem This Be The Verse: ‘They fuck you up, your mum and dad.’
- Larkin never married or had children, commenting in his diary, ‘let me remember the only married state I know is bloody hell’.
give a piece of literary context for Wedding Wind
Larkin referred to his own work as ‘sad-eyed realism’- poetry depicting the pain, uncertainty, and compromise of everyday life
give 2 pieces of context for Places, Loved Ones
- Larkin’s Own Lack of ‘Place’
- Larkin’s Own Relationships
how does Larkin’s own lack of ‘place’ link to Places, Loved Ones
- Larkin wrote Places, Loved Ones in 1954 after making the decision to move from Belfast to Hull. Like the speaker, he had no solid sense of home at the time.
- Larkin moved home 5 times between 1943 and 1955 (Oxford, Wellington, Leicester, Belfast and Hull).
how do Larkin’s Own Relationships link to Places, Loved Ones
- Larkin’s first relationship was with Ruth Bowman – they were briefly engaged but this was broken off when he moved to Belfast.
- Larkin’s longest relationship was with Monica Jones, which spanned nearly 40 years from 1946-1985 – when Larkin died. He never married.
give 2 pieces of context for Coming
- Thomas Hardy
- Anti-Romanticism
how does Thomas Hardy link to Coming?
Larkin alludes to the Darkling Thrush; here, the idea of hope is presented, but from an unknown source, or something that is not understood: ‘some blessed Hope, whereof he knew / And I was unaware’
how does Anti-Romanticism link to Coming?
- Larkin interpreted modern reality with a realistic, clear, colloquial style that discarded both Romanticism and Modernism. This gives Larkin’s poetry a kind of simplicity and accessibility.
- In Romantic poetry, the poet engages in a deep philosophising over the soul and sublime landscapes. Larkin’s poetry is also personal, but he never highlights a sage-like wisdom in the speaker.
give 2 pieces of context for Reasons for Attendance
- Larkin’s Hobbies
- Sad-Eyed Realism
how do Larkin’s hobbies link to Reasons for Attendance?
Larkin was a huge fan of jazz music, writing regular jazz reviews for the Daily Telegraph. He once commented, ‘I can live a week without poetry, but not a day without jazz.’
how does sad-eyed realism link to Reasons for Attendance?
Larkin referred to his own work as ‘sad-eyed realism’- poetry depicting the pain, uncertainty, and compromise of everyday life
give 2 pieces of context for Going
- Sad-Eyed Realism
- Death and Mortality
how does sad-eyed realism link to Going?
Larkin referred to his own work as ‘sad-eyed realism’- poetry depicting the pain, uncertainty, and compromise of everyday life
how does Death and Mortality link to Going?
Larkin’s poems were written in the shadow of WWII - an event which led to a significant loss of life - and just before the Cold War, when nuclear testing was becoming more common, foreshadowing further loss of life. This helps explain Larkin’s focus on death and mortality.
give two pieces of context for Born Yesterday
- Philip Larkin and Kingsley Amis
- Voice and Social Exclusion
