“Deprivation is for me what daffodils were for Wordsworth.” — Philip Arthur Larkin | V2Melody

“Deprivation is for me what daffodils were for Wordsworth.”

A wry account of how absence and limitation could stimulate his imagination · Conversation / interview

Philip Arthur Larkin

About Philip Arthur Larkin

Philip Arthur Larkin

9 August 1922–2 December 1985

Philip Arthur Larkin (1922-1985) stands as one of the most significant English poets of the post-war era, a writer whose unflinching observations of ordinary life and masterful technical skill earned him a place among the finest poets of the 20th century. Often labeled as the "saddest heart in the post-war…

More by Philip Arthur Larkin

Poems by Philip Arthur Larkin

More remarks by Philip Arthur Larkin

“I think writing about unhappiness is probably the source of my popularity, if I have any.”

A self-deprecating reflection on the emotional territory shared by poet and readers · Interview

Despair
Fame

“I think that writing is rather like driving: you can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”

Frequently attributed to Larkin, though the primary source is not consistently identified · Interview / conversation

Art
Poetry

“The pleasure of reading is doubled when one lives with another who shares the same books.”

Widely attributed to Larkin, but the precise source wording is difficult to verify · Essay / prose writing