Talking in Bed: And other Poems
Jun 2026 · Faber & Faber
Ebook
64
Pages
Tools
info
family_home
Eligible
info
About this ebook
The essential pocket edition of this most beloved and quoted of poets.
Our almost-instinct almost true:
What will survive of us is love.
In lines perfectly constructed and as beautiful as they are plain-spoken, Philip Larkin found a way of delineating our most difficult emotions - giving them back to us in images and formulations that help us both comprehend and contain ourselves. His is a fine-tuning that turns 'true and kind' more truthfully into 'not untrue and not unkind.' These are poems to live with and through, from the trenchant assertion of 'They fuck you up. . .', to the transcendent image-making of 'High Windows':
Rather than words comes the thought of high windows:
The sun-comprehending glass,
And beyond it, the deep blue air, that shows
Nothing, and is nowhere, and is endless.
Our almost-instinct almost true:
What will survive of us is love.
In lines perfectly constructed and as beautiful as they are plain-spoken, Philip Larkin found a way of delineating our most difficult emotions - giving them back to us in images and formulations that help us both comprehend and contain ourselves. His is a fine-tuning that turns 'true and kind' more truthfully into 'not untrue and not unkind.' These are poems to live with and through, from the trenchant assertion of 'They fuck you up. . .', to the transcendent image-making of 'High Windows':
Rather than words comes the thought of high windows:
The sun-comprehending glass,
And beyond it, the deep blue air, that shows
Nothing, and is nowhere, and is endless.
The essential pocket edition of this most beloved and quoted of poets.
Our almost-instinct almost true:
What will survive of us is love.
In lines perfectly constructed and as beautiful as they are plain-spoken, Philip Larkin found a way of delineating our most difficult emotions - giving the...
About the author
Philip Larkin (1922-1985) published four collections of poetry, and received innumerable awards and honours, including the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. In 2008, The Times named him Britain's greatest post-war writer.
Philip Larkin (1922-1985) published four collections of poetry, and received innumerable awards and honours, including the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. In 2008, The Times named him Britain's greatest post-war writer.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
