Alison Jones

A Students' Guide to High Windows and the Poetry of Philip Larkin Alison Jones

Philip Larkin, (9 August 1922 - 2 December 1985), 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 publication in 1955 of his second collection, The Less Deceived. This was followed by The Whitsun Weddings and High Windows in 1964 and 1974 respectively. 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. In this comprehensive and easy to read guide to Philip Larkin's final poetry collection High Windows sections include: ? How to study poetry ? Summaries of each poem with critical notes ? Themes and an outline of major theoretical perspectives. The historical background to the poems is explained, along with contemporary and current critical approaches. The detailed author biography and literary chronology sets the poems into context. A comprehensive glossary of poetic terms is also provided, making this an ideal guide for the student of poetry, from AS and A2, through to Undergraduate level study. About the author: Alison Jones is an experienced teacher of English and Media Studies; she trained at Oxford University, Warwick University and recently completed an MA in Modern Poetry at Oxford Brookes University. She is currently Head of Department at a school in Oxford.