Indeed, Philip Larkin was a man ambling through life with a ponderous glare, capturing the foibles of modern life through a discerning lens and an overwhelming sense that one’s senses were diminishing. This was a post-war Britain that had lost its Empire, so Larkin’s The Less Deceived almost reflected a sense of living in an isolated motherland. Belonging to a (then) new generation of Angry Young Man writers, Larkin established his own unique voice-cynical yet lyrical, pessimistic yet profound-with an almost effortlessly ingenious ability to reflect the times he was living in. For this reason, it’s a good time to dig out an old poetry collection and re-read the work of Philip Larkin-widely regarded as one of Britain’s finest poets-who had a fond relationship with the city, regarding it as his adopted home as he held the position of University Librarian at the University of Hull.Īrguably Larkin’s most seminal poetic work, The Less Deceived was a collection of 29 poems released in 1955 which marked a sea change in his evolution towards becoming the literary colossus he is regarded today. With the New Year well underway, the city of Hull has wasted no time in kick-starting a year-long series of events to celebrate its reign as 2017’s City of Culture.
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