Personal Response to the Poetry of Philip Larkin

The poetry of Philip Larkin is fascinating to say the least, but also thought-provoking. His thematic exploration of death in particular provides me with an insight into ephemeral moments that concerns all of humanity. His poetry is also beautifully written; his pragmatic yet aesthetic style continues to captivate and compel readers to thisday. Although Larkin's poetic exploration may seem gloomy to some, it is this profound quality of a true realist that inspire me in his poetry.

My favourite poems of Philip Larkin are: ‘The Trees', ‘Cut Grass', ‘An Arundel Tomb' and ‘Ambulance', all of which have the preoccupation of death as their central theme. Of course, this is not the entity of his poetry. Poems like ‘The Whitsun Weddings and ‘MCMCIV' are written interpretations of Larkin's societal views from the perspective of a stolid realist. However for the purpose of this essay, I will focus on the theme of death and mortality; a theme which I believe is testament to his skill and made Larkin's name a prominent one in the world of English literature.

One of the reasons why I am interested in Larkin's poetry is because his poetry distinguishes that which is real from that which is coined. ‘The Trees' for example, is a written expression that nature is in fact an excellent indicator of transience. He writes that ‘tree's greenness is a kind of grief', as to say that humanity, although superior to natural vegetations, will never be able to renew itself. I found this to be a very insightful interpretation of the cycle of life: ‘Last year is dead, they seem to say, Begin afresh, afresh, afresh.' Perhaps Larkin is trying to communicate to us that in reality, immortality does not exist. As a reader I was stirred by this haunting image depicting the ability of trees being able to shed away their past; something which majority of humankind are unable to do. This poem cleverly reinforces that reality perhaps is the sole dimension that exists. This is truly shocking for an idealist such as myself. Truly thought-provoking!

Similar to ‘The Trees', ‘Cut Grass' deals with mortality and the process of dying. Again, Larkin draws from nature to express the brevity of life, how renewal and restoration may not exist in reality. Larkin personifies the grass: ‘Cut grass lies frail', ‘Long, long the death it dies in the white hours'. This is truly an abysmal image. If something that renewal