Philip Larkin was an English poet born in Coventry in 1922. He came from a family with a Nazi-sympathizing father and a mother he felt a strong attachment to. Despite relationships, he never married. His poetry was influenced by Thomas Hardy and focused on themes of loneliness, depression, and disenchantment with post-World War 2 Britain. He wrote in a plain style using traditional forms and was part of a literary movement rejecting experimental styles. Though criticized for misanthropy, his poetry provided candid portraits of ordinary lives and environments in a way that resonated with readers. He avoided publicity and cultivated a persona as a curmudgeonly right-wing figure.