Existentialism as humanism in philip larkin’s poetry

Abstract

This study explores the notions of Existentialism and Humanism in Philip Larkin's poetry. Relying on Jean Paul Sartre's idea that "Existentialism is Humanism", it aims at demonstrating that Larkin incorporated existentialist thought in his poems, which contributed to reinforce the humanist perspective in his poetry. Existentialism and Humanism are thus discussed in the light of Larkin's supposed negativist view of life. Consequently, his pessimism is taken as the starting point of the argument to show that beyond his potentially pessimistic view lies the belief in humanity's potential for transcendence and regeneration. This binary perception of life, which is only one aspect of Larkin's dualistic perspective, is rendered here through the discussion of existentialism, first, and then of humanism. This dichotomous structure of this thesis stems from --but is also intended to shed more light on-- the tension that characterizes Larkin's texts. Larkin employed thus existentialism to show that in order to be 'human', Man needs to confront difficulties, his flaws, his contradictions, his predicament, and even his barbarity. This work assumes that Larkin's dwelling on the negative side of life in general, contributes to highlight what is positive in it. Consequently, pessimism and optimism are examined together in order to allow the exploration of the philosophical view behind this dualistic perception