Love and Death in Hull 2003

There is a more recent documentary about Larkin's life called Love and Death in Hull.  it was made after Larkin's death in 2003, so is a good overview of all his work.

Larkin on film

You might like to see this famous documentary, Monitor,  featuring Philip Larkin which was made in 1964.  In it, the poet is interviewed by John Betjeman (the poet laureate of the day) in a series of locations in and around Hull, and Wikipedia suggests the following:

(the programme) allowed Larkin to play a significant part in the creation of his own public persona; one he would prefer his readers to imagine.

It is in three parts on You Tube and you can play them one after the other.

 

 

Echoes of Blake?

Blake is one of my favourite poets (1757–1827) and I can't help thinking of these poems after reading The Whitsun Weddings again.  See what you think...

Jerusalem
And did those feet in ancient time.
Walk upon England's mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On England's pleasant pastures seen!

And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my Bow of burning gold;
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!

I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In England's green & pleasant Land

London

I wander thro' each charter'd street,

Near where the charter'd Thames does flow.

And mark in every face I meet

Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

 

In every cry of every Man,

In every Infants cry of fear,

In every voice: in every ban,

The mind-forg'd manacles I hear

 

How the Chimney-sweepers cry

Every blackning Church appalls,

And the hapless Soldiers sigh

Runs in blood down Palace walls

 

But most thro' midnight streets I hear

How the youthful Harlots curse

Blasts the new-born Infants tear

And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse

The Whitsun Weddings, Larkin - Core Text

It's time to reawaken your dormant blogs.  As we work through our exam texts, I want you to record your notes so you can revisit these later for revision. 

Type up notes on each poem as we work through the collection. I will be able to check your progress each week, to make sure you are up to date.

 

You should include a brief summary of what the poem is about, as well as commenting on the themes of the poem, and interesting language, form and structure points. You should also include different interpretations of the poems when you can. To really push yourself, try to make reference to existing critical interpretations. If you do this, include a link to the original source, so that you can find it again later.

 

These will become revision notes, so be sure to make them focused and useful for you. Illustrate each post with an image - either something literal from the poem, or something more abstract that helps you to connect with the themes or ideas of the poem.  Or alternatively, you could be even more creative and choose a soundtrack or film a video or embed one that has been already made from You Tube or Prezi that you think really works well to help you understand and remember the poem better.

 

Please do the following posts so far:

1. First impressions after the reading activity last Thursday
2. The Whitsun Weddings
3. Here
4. Dockery and Son

Please do these by next Monday so you keep up-to-date!  I will be checking…