Why did Philip Larkin Write An Arundel Tomb?

Why did Philip Larkin Write An Arundel Tomb?

The inspiration for ‘An Arundel Tomb’ came during a New Year holiday in early 1956, when Larkin visited Chichester Cathedral with his long-term partner, Monica Jones. Inspired by the stone effigy of the medieval earl and countess found in the cathedral, Larkin wrote a poem about love and our attitudes to love.

When did Larkin Write An Arundel Tomb?

1956
“An Arundel Tomb” was written in 1956 by the British poet Philip Larkin. It was included as the final poem in his 1964 collection, The Whitsun Weddings, and is also one of his best known works. In the poem, the speaker is looking at stone effigies of a medieval earl and countess.

What type of poem is An Arundel Tomb?

An Arundel Tomb is almost a love poem written by Larkin in 1956 and first published in the book The Whitsun Weddings of 1964.

What remains of us is love Larkin?

The last line of “An Arundel Tomb” is among the most quoted in all of Larkin: “What will survive of us is love.” Its popularity can seem ironic. Larkin is mainly known for the dry eloquence of his gloom, and for the sly precision of his phrasing.

What is the explosion by Philip Larkin about?

The Explosion, written in 1970, is the final poem in his 1974 collection, “High Windows”. It takes as its theme an underground explosion in a coalmine, with Larkin’s inspiration coming from watching a television programme, in late 1969, about the British mining industry and the dangers that miners faced.

Who Said What will survive of us is love?

Philip Larkin
‘What will survive of us is love’: Philip Larkin and the meaning of life | TheArticle.

What is Philip Larkin known for?

Philip Arthur Larkin CH CBE FRSL (9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian….Philip Larkin.

Philip Larkin CH CBE FRSL
Occupation Poet, librarian, novelist, jazz critic
Employer University of Hull (1955–85)
Notable work The Whitsun Weddings (1964), High Windows (1974)

What disaster occurs in the explosion by Philip Larkin?

the mine disaster
In his poem “The Explosion,” Philip Larkin discusses the dramatic event of the mine disaster observed in 1969. This poem is the elegy to remember the tragedy of the explosion.

What happens at noon in the explosion?

At noon, there came a tremor; cows Stopped chewing for a second; sun, Scarfed as in a heat-haze, dimmed. interfuse the event and the condition of death. The tradition continued long after the ballads served any purpose of circulating news. We hope they’re happy with the angels And by their loving saviour blest.

What will survive of us is love analysis?

The speaker reflects on the fact that the joined hands were probably the sculptor’s idea, suggesting a faithful love that may be merely “faithfulness in effigy”—an image rather than the lived reality of fidelity. “What will survive of us is love.”

What does Philip Larkin say about an Arundel Tomb?

Side by side To see a recent photograph of this tomb of the Earl and Countess of Arundel that Larkin is describing, click here. The little dogs under their feet. pre-baroque In Larkin’s pronunciation, the phrase rhymes with ‘shock.’

Who is the speaker in an Arundel Tomb?

In this poem, the speaker observes a marble effigy of a couple in a cathedral and is much taken by the fact that they are shown holding hands: a gesture that he finds ‘greatly affecting’. ‘An Arundel Tomb’ by Philip Larkin is a lesser-known poem but is quite memorable.

What are the themes of an Arundel Tomb?

‘An Arundel Tomb’ by Philip Larkin muses on themes of life, death, and the passage of time. The speaker alludes to the strength of love and how affecting a demonstration of it can be.

Why are Earl and countess holding hands in Arundel Tomb?

In the poem, the speaker is looking at stone effigies of a medieval earl and countess. Surprised to see that they are depicted holding hands, the speaker sets off a complex meditation about the nature of time, mortality, and love.

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