Philip Larkin (1922–1985) Aubade, This Be the Verse LINKS The American of American Poets - Poetry Exhibits: Philip Larkin http://www.poets.org/lit/poet/plarkin.htm This site contains a brief biography of Larkin, a selected bibliography, and a list of links. BIOGRAPHY Philip Larkin (1922–1985) Born in Coventry, Larkin attended St. John's College, Oxford (B.A., 1943; M. A., 1947). He was appointed librarian at the University of Hull in 1955, wrote jazz feature articles for the London Daily Telegraph from 1961 to 1971, and won numerous poetry awards, including the Queens Gold Medal (1965) and the Benson Medal (1975). His first collection, The North Ship (1945), was not well received, but he gained recognition after publication of The Less Deceived (1960). Larkin once said, "Form holds little interest for me. Content is everything."