Larkin, around
I made my mind up many years ago about Larkin. I adored his work more than that of any other poet, but that didn't mean I had to like him as a man. I found his views, his racism, misogyny, hatred of the working-class and all round right-wingery repulsive - I would neither seek to defend them nor allow them in any way to sully my love of his work. It was salutary lesson for a teenager - the division between art and life, the folly of idol-worship, the fact that while it is wonderful that for your artistic heroes to share your politics, it doesn't always turn out like that.
Rachel Cooke's highly readable article in the Guardian takes a look at his tangled relationships with women, and attempts to at least partially scrub the charge of misogyny of old Phillip's charge sheet. While it is certainly interesting to hear of his tender side, I do wonder whether a spurious subliminal special pleading emerges. His poetry needs no defending, it stands alone. Those arguing his views invalidate his brilliance should be battled.
It is clear from his poetry that Larkin was capable of love for women. It is still more clear from his poetry he was capable of the most immense empathy for others. His work could not have been as achingly gorgeous as it was if not. He was, it seems, capable of great kindness in his personal life. It is clear therefore in ways he had great humanity, and hearing examples of this is, well, its very nice. But none of this alters the fact that when it came to the political, that is, the point where these qualities are applied to the wider world, that he had very little indeed. Larkin's humanity was there in his poetry, that beautiful but narrow space, and it seems he had very little left for the wider world. His rants to Kingsley Amis against those poorer than him, against women, against "niggers", were not larking around - weak pun intended - and it is ridiculous, and somewhat pathetic to suggest this is the case. They were the sad truths of a man whose spirit was so large in one way, so tiny in others.
Cooke's article shows Larkin loved individual women. But a misogynist can love an individual woman. A racist can have great affection for an individual of another race, and I'll bet Larkin liked one or two "darkies" in his personal life, quite apart from his love of jazz musicians. But if your general animus is against them, if you expend a great deal of time attacking them, if you actively support political philosophies opposed to them, a misogynist or racist you remain. The same holds true for socialists who can love individual rich people - you still wish they weren't there.
I think Larkin was a bit of a shit. I will always think his poetry marvelous and outstanding. While there is complication, there is no essential contradiction. Not un-coincidentally , I can greatly enjoy some films of Roman Polanski, whilst being adamant that today's decision not to bring this rapist to justice is a disgrace.
