Dr Oliver Tearle’s summary of a classic Larkin poem Readers not fond of swearing in poetry are advised to look away now, for Philip Larkin‘s opening lines can get pretty sweary. ‘They f*ck you up, your mum and dad’: a memorable opening line for one of Philip Larkin’s best-known poems, […]
The most significant events in the history of books on the 2nd of December 1814: Marquis de Sade dies. As well as giving us the word ‘sadist’ for one who enjoys inflicting pain on others, Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade (to cite his full name) was also a novelist who […]
Our pick of the 10 best Philip Larkin poems and why you should read them – selected by Dr Oliver Tearle Trying to create a ‘top ten’ definitive list of Philip Larkin’s best poems is impossible, not least because each Larkin fan will come up with a slightly different list. […]