Philip (Arthur) Larkin (1922-85) is one of the foremost poets who flourished in the post-World War II era of English literature. He is widely taught in universities and colleges as earnestly in India as abroad.
A Companion to Philip Larkin is designed to help the beginners learn about Larkin without assistance. Others may find in it plenty of material for refurbishing their knowledge of the poet.
The book consists of two volumes.
Volume I contains seven chapters: chapter one presents a brief biography of Larkin, chapter two deals with some distinctive aspects of his personality, chapter three shows an inventory of his works, and chapter four examines Larkin as a novelist. Besides, there is one long chapter each for his three collections of poems: The Less Deceived, The Whitsun Weddings and High Windows. Twelve poems from each of the three collections have been lucidly explained, discussed and evaluated.
Volume II comprises the following eleven chapters (each chapter-heading clearly indicates what it is about): (i) Is Larkin a Modern Poet?, (ii) Is Larkin a Movement Poet?, (iii) Larkin’s Poetic Theory and Stylistic Features, (iv) Major Themes of Larkin, (v) Pessimism and Death in Larkin, (vi) Ventriloquism in Larkin’s Poems, (vii) Did Larkin Develop?, (viii) Larkin’s Gentility, (ix) Larkin’s Englishness, (x) A Quick Look at Some Other Aspects of Larkin as a Poet (this chapter includes detailed discussions on four ‘special’ poems of Larkin: “Aubade”, “Bridge for the Living”, “Dublinesque” and “MCMXIV”), and (xi) Appreciations and Criticisms of Larkin.
The book will be highly useful to the students, teachers and researchers of English literature, particularly to those having a keen interest in Philip Larkin.
Sunil Kumar Sarker, Ph.D. (English), Ph.D. (Philosophy), a retired Reader, is a well-known author. He has to his credit a good number of books on, besides other subjects, English literature, including Shakespeare’s Knowledge of Human Nature; W.B. Yeats: Poetry and Plays; T.S. Eliot: Poetry, Plays and Prose; Milton; Shakespeare’s Sonnets; A Companion to William Wordsworth (2 Vols.); and A Companion to E.M. Forster (3 Vols.)—all published by Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd., New Delhi.
