Philip Larkin: A Manuscript Study

This thesis will argue for the importance of the
poetry which Philip Larkin wrote during the last
years of his life (after the publication of his
fourth collection High Windows in 1974 until his
death in 1985). It will do so through a manuscript,
correspondence, journalistic and comparative study.
These resources will be examined in terms of how
they expose Larkin as suffering from elements of
creative block, neurosis and psychological conflict.
The dichotomy between life and art, or the dedicated
artist detaching himself from the influences of the
outside world, proved impossible to maintain during
this final period. Significant experiences in
Larkin s youth, including the considerable influence
of his parents Sydney and Eva, meant that he
internalised a blocked concept of self-expression
and sexuality from an early stage. The later poetry
is unique because of its confessional exploration of
his psychological state, in that it confronts issues
of death, lust and the eventual collapse of an
aesthetic ideal.

Autorentext

Dr. Ashley D. Faulkner is currently an Assistant Professor of English at Wayland Baptist University, Plainview, TX. One of his main interests is teaching Creative Writing--at this date Dr. Faulkner has written a collection of poetry and two novels, and is actively seeking publication in these areas

Klappentext

This thesis will argue for the importance of the poetry which Philip Larkin wrote during the last years of his life (after the publication of his fourth collection High Windows in 1974 until his death in 1985). It will do so through a manuscript, correspondence, journalistic and comparative study. These resources will be examined in terms of how they expose Larkin as suffering from elements of creative block, neurosis and psychological conflict. The dichotomy between life and art, or the dedicated artist detaching himself from the influences of the outside world, proved impossible to maintain during this final period. Significant experiences in Larkin's youth, including the considerable influence of his parents Sydney and Eva, meant that he internalised a blocked concept of self-expression and sexuality from an early stage. The later poetry is unique because of its confessional exploration of his psychological state, in that it confronts issues of death, lust and the eventual collapse of an aesthetic ideal.