High Windows

Although it was written in 1967, Philip Larkin (1922-1985) published “High Windows” in his collection of the same name in 1974. High Windows was Larkin’s fourth and final book of poetry, and the titular poem demonstrates the work of a poet at the height of literary powers. Although Larkin is often associated with the British poetry movement simply called "The Movement," he is a singular author who preferred to write in solitude and without fanfare. “High Windows” exemplifies Larkin’s clarity, his sardonic and pessimistic tone, and his use of traditional verse forms. The poem responds to the changing cultural views toward sex in the revolutionary 1960s, using these events to make broader reflections on the nature of societal change.

Poet Biography

Philip Larkin was born in 1922 to middle class, English parents. As a child, Larkin was introduced to the works of Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, James Joyce, and Paul Dunbar Laurence. His parents supported his interests by encouraging his early passion for jazz music. After a somewhat academically challenged childhood, Larkin earned First-Class Honors in English from St. John’s College, Oxford in 1943. After graduating, Larkin worked as a librarian—a profession to which he would stick his entire life.