Philip Larkin wrote many different poems in his life and was described as "The poet who created a movement in poetry" (Craik). Larkin's famous poems are "Days", "High Windows", "Love Again", "Toads", and "Church Going". Some critics say "That his poetry was very offensive in the way he wrote it because it was dark and gloomy and sent a very negative message to the reader." (Thwaite, 268) The poet Philip Larkin is a dark observer, obsessed with death and the dark humor of human weaknesses and failures. Philip Larkin's life behind the scenes with his parents. Philip Larkin was born in 1922 in Coventry, England. He grew up in Coventry, England, a city known for its cathedral and its Daumier car factory. When he died “This Be the Verse” was written on his tombstone. Larkin's father was a bully, but his mother was an ever-anxious housewife. He lived a much more dramatic life than he brought to people. Larkin could not escape from his home or his parents until he turned eighteen and Oxford became his new home. After college at Oxford “Larkin's life was set” (Margo), he was a librarian. He had met Monica Jones who was the love of his life. He was also a jazz critic for the Daily Telegraph in the 1960s and 1970s. Since he was a librarian, he became a bookish dandy (Margo). He wore a vest, green or cherry pants and thick glasses. Philip Larkin wrote the poem “Days” which is very short but has a deep meaning. “Days” shows that it has a dark meaning because it asks the question “What are days for?” (1). Larkin makes it sound like he had a difficult life and it was very depressing as it comes across in his writings. Also mentions “Brings the Priest and the Doctor” (8) by Lar...... middle of the document ...... about (Sullivan). In another poem “Faith Healing” it says In everyone sleeps A sense of life lived according to love. For some it means the difference they could make by loving others, but in most cases it extends as everything they could have been if they had been loved. That nothing cares. (Faith healing). “Larkin had an inkling that he was gay when he was about fifteen” (Sullivan). The poet Philip Larkin is a grim, death-obsessed, darkly humorous observer of human foibles and failures. In conclusion, many critics have a lot to say about Philip Larkin, some say he was dark, others say he was good humored. Others say he was homosexual, others not. “'I had actually broached the subject in front of others'” (Sullivan), I personally don't see why critics say he wasn't homosexual or maybe he was bisexual, these are questions we will never know.