philip larkin context Flashcards
Where was Larkin born?
Coventry
What was the names of Larkins parents?
Sidney + Eva
What sort of marriage did Larkins parents have?
Troubled + toxic
What did Larkins father do?
Admired Hitler
Which poems show Larkin’s views of relationships?
Selfs the man
Talking in bed
Dockery + son
What music did Larkin love? Why is this ironic?
Jazz music
Ironic bc he was a racist
Where did Larkin initially get a job as a librarian?
Queens Belfast
What job did Larkin do in Queens Belfast?
Librarian
What did Larkin do at Hull uni?
Became a librarian
Who did Larkin meet at Hull? Which poem was written about this person?
Maeve Brennan
The Broadcast
Who was Larkin dating whilst he started a relationship w Maeve Brennan?
Monca Jones
What did Larkin love? Where is this shown?
Loved animals
‘Take one home for the kiddies’
What group was Larkin a part of?
The movement
What did the Movement do?
Rejected the elitist nature of modern writing - celebrated quotidian (everyday) life
What was kitchen sink poetry?
Every day poetry
Which school did Larkin go to?
King Henry School
Where did Larkin go to university? What did he study?
Oxford uni
English
Where did Larkin get a job first? Who did he meet on this job?
A librarian in Wellington
Ruth Bowmen
Who was Larkin engaged to at one point? What happened?
Ruth Bowmen
They broke up
Which poem mentions Ruth Bowmen?
Wild oats
Who was mentioned in Wild oats?
Ruth Bowmen
Who was Larkin influenced by? (1)
Thomas Hardy
What outlook did Tom Hardy have on life?
Bleak + tragic outlook on life
Who influenced Larkin? (2)
W.B. Yeats
What was Larkin’s view on life?
Nihilism
What did Larkin say about love + statues? What poem is this about?
“Love isn’t stronger than death just because statues hold hands for 600 years”
Arundale Tombs
What does Golding say about Larkin’s poetry?
His poetry simply reflected his own life
Who said Larkin’s poetry reflected his life?
Golding
What did Larkin call his mother?
A rambling fool
How did Larkin refer to married life?
Bloody hell
What did Golding say about the Whitsun Weddings?
The Whitsun Weddings dwells on the futility of existence
Who says the Whitsun Weddings dwells on the futility of existence?
Golding
What does Cox say about Larkin?
Larkin feels cheated by existence
Who says Larkin feels cheated by existence?
Cox
What does Navemore say about Larkin?
Larkin rarely presents himself as anything but the onlooker
Who says Larkin rarely presents himself as anything but the onlooker?
Navemore
Who calls Larkin a hopeless + inflexible pessimist?
Appleyard
What is nihilism?
The believe that existence + life is futile + pointless
Which book was the first to mention nihilism?
‘Fathers and Sons’ by Turgenev
What political background did Larkin come from? For how long?
Conservative up until the 1960s
What would Larkin long for?
The days when the poor workers would follow him home and ask for money in exchange for unloading his luggage
What did the Black Power Movement do to Larkin? Why was this?
Destroyed his love for jazz
He wanted the time when black people entertained white people for free
Which Prime Minister did Larkin love?
Margaret Thatcher
What does Appleyard call Larkin?
Larkin is a hopeless + inflexible pessimist
