PhilipLarkinisoneofthefinestEnglishpoetsofourtime.Hispoeticpersonality-nostalgic,wry,melancholy,ironic,wittyandhaunting-hasappealedtoafarwideraudiencethanthatofliteraryspecialists,whilealsowinningtherespectofleadingcriticsandfellowpoets.Lerner’sstudyrelatespoetrytoLarkin’slife,andtotheliteraryandsocialenvironmentofpost-warBritain;discussestheLarkinpersona,andLarkin’srelationtoliterarycriticism;andaboveallseekstoguidereaderstoafullappreciationofthepowerandsubtletyofLarkin’sbestpoems.
