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Poets on Poetry
Further Requirements: Interviews, Broadcasts, Statements and Book Reviews, 1952-85
Further Requirements gathers interviews, broadcasts, statements, and reviews that collectively offer a surprising portrait of Philip mordant, modest, intolerant, and generous-but always himself.
" . . . reveals a deadpan humour and intuitive intelligence tempered by genuine modesty . . . cannot fail to appeal to those with a passion for poetry."
--Joanna Hunter, The Observer
" . . . good writing, unfussy and unadorned-seeming; but with the impression that [Larkin] has worked hard at every sentence. Even his responses in interviews suggest a mind taking its time to get the words just right."
--Nicholas Lezard, The Guardian
"It is a treat to encounter once more those splendidly grouchy tones. . . . Larkin's insights into himself are spot-on."
-- The Independent
" . . . impeccably edited . . . hugely readable . . . provides solid confirmation of Larkin's stature. Austere? No, thank goodness, though he had his austerities. But a classic? Undoubtedly."
-- The Daily Telegraph
Philip Larkin (1922-85) was a prolific and honored British poet, editor, fiction writer, and reviewer. His books of poetry include High Windows , The Whitsun Weddings , The Less Deceived , and The North Ship . In addition to Further Requirements, his prose works include the essay collections Required Writing (Michigan, 1999) and All What A Record Diary , and two novels, Jill and A Girl in Winter . Anthony Thwaite is an acclaimed writer and poet, whose most recent books include Selected Poems 1956-1996 and A Different New Poems .
" . . . reveals a deadpan humour and intuitive intelligence tempered by genuine modesty . . . cannot fail to appeal to those with a passion for poetry."
--Joanna Hunter, The Observer
" . . . good writing, unfussy and unadorned-seeming; but with the impression that [Larkin] has worked hard at every sentence. Even his responses in interviews suggest a mind taking its time to get the words just right."
--Nicholas Lezard, The Guardian
"It is a treat to encounter once more those splendidly grouchy tones. . . . Larkin's insights into himself are spot-on."
-- The Independent
" . . . impeccably edited . . . hugely readable . . . provides solid confirmation of Larkin's stature. Austere? No, thank goodness, though he had his austerities. But a classic? Undoubtedly."
-- The Daily Telegraph
Philip Larkin (1922-85) was a prolific and honored British poet, editor, fiction writer, and reviewer. His books of poetry include High Windows , The Whitsun Weddings , The Less Deceived , and The North Ship . In addition to Further Requirements, his prose works include the essay collections Required Writing (Michigan, 1999) and All What A Record Diary , and two novels, Jill and A Girl in Winter . Anthony Thwaite is an acclaimed writer and poet, whose most recent books include Selected Poems 1956-1996 and A Different New Poems .
- GenresEssaysPoetryNonfiction
400 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2001
About the author
Philip Larkin
124 books678 followersPhilip Arthur Larkin, CH, CBE, FRSL, was an English poet, novelist and jazz critic. He spent his working life as a university librarian and was offered the Poet Laureateship following the death of John Betjeman, but declined the post. Larkin is commonly regarded as one of the greatest English poets of the latter half of the twentieth century. He first came to prominence with the release of his third collection The Less Deceived in 1955. The Whitsun Weddings and High Windows followed in 1964 and 1974. In 2003 Larkin was chosen as "the nation's best-loved poet" in a survey by the Poetry Book Society, and in 2008 The Times named Larkin as the greatest post-war writer.
Larkin was born in city of Coventry, England, the only son and younger child of Sydney Larkin (1884–1948), city treasurer of Coventry, who came from Lichfield, and his wife, Eva Emily Day (1886–1977), of Epping. From 1930 to 1940 he was educated at King Henry VIII School in Coventry, and in October 1940, in the midst of the Second World War, went up to St John's College, Oxford, to read English language and literature. Having been rejected for military service because of his poor eyesight, Larkin was able, unlike many of his contemporaries, to follow the traditional full-length degree course, taking a first-class degree in 1943. Whilst at Oxford he met Kingsley Amis, who would become a lifelong friend and frequent correspondent. Shortly after graduating he was appointed municipal librarian at Wellington, Shropshire. In 1946, he became assistant librarian at University College, Leicester and in 1955 sub-librarian at Queen's University, Belfast. In March 1955, Larkin was appointed librarian at The University of Hull, a position he retained until his death.
Larkin was born in city of Coventry, England, the only son and younger child of Sydney Larkin (1884–1948), city treasurer of Coventry, who came from Lichfield, and his wife, Eva Emily Day (1886–1977), of Epping. From 1930 to 1940 he was educated at King Henry VIII School in Coventry, and in October 1940, in the midst of the Second World War, went up to St John's College, Oxford, to read English language and literature. Having been rejected for military service because of his poor eyesight, Larkin was able, unlike many of his contemporaries, to follow the traditional full-length degree course, taking a first-class degree in 1943. Whilst at Oxford he met Kingsley Amis, who would become a lifelong friend and frequent correspondent. Shortly after graduating he was appointed municipal librarian at Wellington, Shropshire. In 1946, he became assistant librarian at University College, Leicester and in 1955 sub-librarian at Queen's University, Belfast. In March 1955, Larkin was appointed librarian at The University of Hull, a position he retained until his death.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 25, 2012
I've made small attempts to get into poetry before, but not very successfully. I bought some stuff by Rimbaud, cos he sounded like an interesting chap, but I couldn't really get into it. And I have a collection of beat stuff that I found while in San Francisco, and yeah, some of it spoke to me a little. But as yet I've still not really managed to get to grips with poetry as a form.
I didn't actually buy Further Requirements for poetry tips though, but because i) I'd been browsing for hours and was reaching breaking point when I spotted it ii) a friend of mine once sent me a link to some of Larkin's poems, and I thought they were alright, and iii) my copy has an irresistibly endearing pic of Larkin on its cover, peaking out from the spine like a cross between a mole and Eric Morecombe. If I remember rightly I thought it might be a little bit like Hitchen's Arguably, which I've been missing since I finished it a couple of months ago.
Nevertheless, although half of the value that FR held for me came from the many fine examples of how to review, the remainder came from a fair dollop of poetic education - not specifically sought but gladly found. As an illustration of just how much I needed educating, for example, it was in FR that I came across my first-ever instances of someone in the know labelling any poetry bad and telling me why they thought it so. For someone with no appreciation of poetry, good or bad, and oh so used to being completely baffled, the idea of a poet finding some poetry bad was a revelation. For the first time it occured to me that maybe the failings hadn't all been mine.
The book starts with statements and interviews about Larkin's own works, and like any good interviews with intelligent creatives they're chock-full of interest. More trying are some of the forewords, although some of these also act as pointers to further potential areas of interest of a different authorship. The bulk of the book though is reviews that Larkin wrote - almost exclusively of books of poetry - and although more than a handful could beneficially have been left out, the majority I consider to have been well worth my time.
I have nobody to compare him to, but Larkin struck me as a reassuringly authoritative guide, and I found much to appreciate in the morsels he offered up to be cherished or scorned from the works he appraised. On finishing the book I've turned down the corners of no fewer than 11 pages, and that was exercising some restraint.
Some examples of things I enjoyed:
Larkin: If you're more interesting as a child than as a grown-up, what's the point of growing up?
Llewelyn Cowper: Consider the glow, the glory of being alive, the very chance of it! How heart-piercing, how shocking, how supremely beautiful...
Larkin: It is no use remonstrating with a reviewer for speaking of the latest Poetry Book Club choice in terms that leave no adjectives for, say, Hardy, Tennyson, and Pope. If he tries to keep the same critical standard for the lot he will find himself unable to say, not only anything favourable, but anything at all about the month's poetry, simply because critical perspective means that if the classics are in focus then ephemera are not even visible, and vice versa.
Larkin: [Real poems are] self-sufficient as eggs.
Larkin: Once the certainty of permanent extinction is realized, only a more immediate calamity can dislodge it from the mind, and then only temporarily.
I do have to say that very little of the actual poetry quoted within these pages held even the slightest appeal for me. I've come away from the book wanting to read some more of Larkin's own work, some Betjeman, who was one of Larkin's favourites, some Gavin Ewert, as well as some stuff by the critic Cyril Connelly and the book HG Wells in Love, but I'd be surprised if any of these three poets end up doing for me what other people's favourite poets do for them. As educational and enjoyable a guide as Larkin has been, I think I lack sufficient background knowledge of the pre-modern and the requisite tastes to appreciate the work of most of the people on whom he comments here.
Still, I have those few promising leads and, much more importantly, I feel substantially better equipped to tackle poetry in general. Not a bad outcome from something hastily grabbed while on the verge of fainting.
I didn't actually buy Further Requirements for poetry tips though, but because i) I'd been browsing for hours and was reaching breaking point when I spotted it ii) a friend of mine once sent me a link to some of Larkin's poems, and I thought they were alright, and iii) my copy has an irresistibly endearing pic of Larkin on its cover, peaking out from the spine like a cross between a mole and Eric Morecombe. If I remember rightly I thought it might be a little bit like Hitchen's Arguably, which I've been missing since I finished it a couple of months ago.
Nevertheless, although half of the value that FR held for me came from the many fine examples of how to review, the remainder came from a fair dollop of poetic education - not specifically sought but gladly found. As an illustration of just how much I needed educating, for example, it was in FR that I came across my first-ever instances of someone in the know labelling any poetry bad and telling me why they thought it so. For someone with no appreciation of poetry, good or bad, and oh so used to being completely baffled, the idea of a poet finding some poetry bad was a revelation. For the first time it occured to me that maybe the failings hadn't all been mine.
The book starts with statements and interviews about Larkin's own works, and like any good interviews with intelligent creatives they're chock-full of interest. More trying are some of the forewords, although some of these also act as pointers to further potential areas of interest of a different authorship. The bulk of the book though is reviews that Larkin wrote - almost exclusively of books of poetry - and although more than a handful could beneficially have been left out, the majority I consider to have been well worth my time.
I have nobody to compare him to, but Larkin struck me as a reassuringly authoritative guide, and I found much to appreciate in the morsels he offered up to be cherished or scorned from the works he appraised. On finishing the book I've turned down the corners of no fewer than 11 pages, and that was exercising some restraint.
Some examples of things I enjoyed:
Larkin: If you're more interesting as a child than as a grown-up, what's the point of growing up?
Llewelyn Cowper: Consider the glow, the glory of being alive, the very chance of it! How heart-piercing, how shocking, how supremely beautiful...
Larkin: It is no use remonstrating with a reviewer for speaking of the latest Poetry Book Club choice in terms that leave no adjectives for, say, Hardy, Tennyson, and Pope. If he tries to keep the same critical standard for the lot he will find himself unable to say, not only anything favourable, but anything at all about the month's poetry, simply because critical perspective means that if the classics are in focus then ephemera are not even visible, and vice versa.
Larkin: [Real poems are] self-sufficient as eggs.
Larkin: Once the certainty of permanent extinction is realized, only a more immediate calamity can dislodge it from the mind, and then only temporarily.
I do have to say that very little of the actual poetry quoted within these pages held even the slightest appeal for me. I've come away from the book wanting to read some more of Larkin's own work, some Betjeman, who was one of Larkin's favourites, some Gavin Ewert, as well as some stuff by the critic Cyril Connelly and the book HG Wells in Love, but I'd be surprised if any of these three poets end up doing for me what other people's favourite poets do for them. As educational and enjoyable a guide as Larkin has been, I think I lack sufficient background knowledge of the pre-modern and the requisite tastes to appreciate the work of most of the people on whom he comments here.
Still, I have those few promising leads and, much more importantly, I feel substantially better equipped to tackle poetry in general. Not a bad outcome from something hastily grabbed while on the verge of fainting.
January 5, 2017
380 or so pages of interviews, broadcasts and (mainly) book reviews, written from the mid-50s to the mid-80s. All stuff that Larkin himself hadn't bothered publishing in book form - the title refers back to the collection of generically similar stuff he had published, under the title 'Required Writing', which I read a couple of years ago.
So essentially a miscellany on literary subjects. Its subjects naturally reflect Larkin's own interests and preferences to a large extent. There are numerous reviews of Betjeman books, a couple of Dick Francis novels... Waugh, Tennyson, Auden, the Powys brothers, Cyril Connolly and Eliot all appear several times (he's not an across-the-board fan of all of these, e.g. Auden, who nevertheless gets a lot of attention here). A couple of pieces are linked to his profession of librarianship.
Quite a few of these are quite interesting, and a few of the others have awakened interest in writers I'd not heard of and/or not felt moved to check out previously. But I read it (okay, to be honest I did skip a few and skimmed a few others, but I read most of it) in a week, which is probably not the best way to read this kind of book, and I was kind of slightly bored of it by the time I finished it. It wouldn't be fair to hold this reaction against the content, since it obviously wasn't designed to be swallowed whole.
One thing I'd like to note (because it's contrary to a certain stereotyped view of him) is that he appears from these reviews (etc.) as sensitive, generous, empathetic and humane. He is never cutting or dismissive, even when he doesn't think much of a book he's reviewing (I'm afraid I can't always say the same). He clearly belongs within a certain camp poetically - the relatively straightforward, unobscure and indeed anti-obscurity - but he reads well beyond that camp and does so with an open (though properly critical) mind. Seems, in short, like a thoroughly decent chap, and not the small-minded little Englander he's caricatured as being (although it's obvious where the caricature comes from).
Be that as it may, this book's really one for the big fans - of Larkin and/or his reviewees. Not a thrill-ride for the rest of the world.
So essentially a miscellany on literary subjects. Its subjects naturally reflect Larkin's own interests and preferences to a large extent. There are numerous reviews of Betjeman books, a couple of Dick Francis novels... Waugh, Tennyson, Auden, the Powys brothers, Cyril Connolly and Eliot all appear several times (he's not an across-the-board fan of all of these, e.g. Auden, who nevertheless gets a lot of attention here). A couple of pieces are linked to his profession of librarianship.
Quite a few of these are quite interesting, and a few of the others have awakened interest in writers I'd not heard of and/or not felt moved to check out previously. But I read it (okay, to be honest I did skip a few and skimmed a few others, but I read most of it) in a week, which is probably not the best way to read this kind of book, and I was kind of slightly bored of it by the time I finished it. It wouldn't be fair to hold this reaction against the content, since it obviously wasn't designed to be swallowed whole.
One thing I'd like to note (because it's contrary to a certain stereotyped view of him) is that he appears from these reviews (etc.) as sensitive, generous, empathetic and humane. He is never cutting or dismissive, even when he doesn't think much of a book he's reviewing (I'm afraid I can't always say the same). He clearly belongs within a certain camp poetically - the relatively straightforward, unobscure and indeed anti-obscurity - but he reads well beyond that camp and does so with an open (though properly critical) mind. Seems, in short, like a thoroughly decent chap, and not the small-minded little Englander he's caricatured as being (although it's obvious where the caricature comes from).
Be that as it may, this book's really one for the big fans - of Larkin and/or his reviewees. Not a thrill-ride for the rest of the world.
May 28, 2014
Only for those very interested in Larkin.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews