Larkin' Around - The Poetry of Philip Larkin

Content of Course

1. Larkin's position as a 'leading' modern poet.

2. Larkin's personal context: his life and times. His letters, notebooks, biographies.

3. A chronological and personal progression through his verse.

4. Larkin assessed as a poet, both by his contemporaries and today - and by the students.

Teaching method(s)

Lectures, seminars and discussions.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course students should be able to:

• Evaluate modern poetry in terms of structure and content of individual poems.

• Place Larkin within a contemporary context by understanding the development of poetry in the 20th century.

• Understand what 'created' Larkin's verse by reference to the context of his poetry - both personal and social.

• Approach poetry with confidence.

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

• Larkin, Philip (2003). Collected Poems, Faber Paperback

Recommended:

• Selected letters of Philip Larkin 1940-85, Faber and Faber (1992)

• Maeve Brennan (2002). The Philip Larkin I Knew, MUP

• Video. Life and Death in Hull (BBC 2003)

• Video. A Life of Philip Larkin

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.