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I am ashamed (and amazed and delighted and excited!) to admit that this year (2003) has seen me reading my first poem by Philip Larkin. Whilst not wishing to divulge my age, suffice it to say that I am old enough for this to be a crime! Yes, I'd heard the name 'Larkin' and 'poet' mentioned, but somehow pigeonholed him as 'too modern', then there was something about his penchant for pornography, and didn't someone say he was a racist?
And then, thank goodness, BBC2 stepped in with a documentary and a wonderful drama depicting the life and poems of this shadowy figure - from then on, I was a total convert and the discovery of these beautiful poems has been an important highlight of this year so far, and without a doubt for the rest of my life.
How then to introduce Larkin as one so new to him myself? I'm thrilled to realise that I have much still to read and learn of this man and yet the little I have devoured already has shown me a voice, modern, yes, but with an obvious and great love of words, and of how strangely beautiful they can be when placed together so tenderly. These poems are about being human - its sadness, beauty and absurdity - and yet they never sink into gloom, being kept afloat always by the poet's wry smile.
A favourite quotation of Philip Larkin's was "The business of a poet is to move the reader's heart by showing his own". And what better way to describe the business of Larkin?
