Among the jumble scattered around Philip Larkin’s house, after his death, was a copy of the Catholic marriage service and its regulation. The document now rests in the archive of the poet’s miscellaneous remains at Hull University. Its acquisition dates from 20 years earlier when there were two women in Larkin’s life – one of whom, as he told his friend Robert Conquest, he “wanted” to marry, the other of whom he “ought” to marry. Both wished to marry Larkin.
15 April 2021, The Tablet
Faith and Philip Larkin: 'Toying with the moth-eaten brocade'
Get Instant Access
Continue Reading
Register for free to read this article in full
Subscribe for unlimited access
From just £30 quarterly
Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
The full weekly edition in print and digital including our 179 years archive.
PDF version to view on iPad, iPhone or computer.
Already a subscriber? Login