High Windows book explained: everything you need to know.

Today I want to talk about this book called “High Windows.” So, I started by looking around to see what exactly this “High Windows” is. Turns out, it’s a poetry collection by this guy Philip Larkin. This was his last big work, came out in 1974. I thought, “Okay, poetry, not really my usual thing, but let’s give it a shot.”

I dived into the book. The first thing I did was just read through it, you know, to get a feel for it. Some of the poems, they were kind of tough to get at first. Larkin’s style, it’s pretty straightforward, but the meanings, they’re a bit hidden sometimes. But I kept at it. I went back and read some of them a few times.

Then, I started digging deeper. I looked up some analyses online, just to see what other people were saying about these poems. I found some study guides that talked about the themes and the characters, even though it’s poetry and not a novel. It helped a lot to see what others thought. I didn’t always agree, but it gave me some new perspectives.

One thing I noticed, a lot of critics back when it was published, they weren’t too hot on Larkin’s work. They said it was too simple, too traditional. But I found that even when he’s being simple, there’s a lot going on underneath. Like, there’s this one poem, also called “High Windows,” and it’s about how society was changing in the 1960s, especially with views on sex. It got me thinking about how things change over time, what we think is normal or acceptable.

Here’s what I did step-by-step:

• Read the whole book first: Just a simple read-through to get a general idea.
• Re-read some poems: Some of them needed a second or third look to really sink in.
• Looked up analyses: Checked out what other people were saying about the poems.
• Focused on key poems: Like the title poem, “High Windows,” to understand the main ideas.
• Thought about the themes: What’s Larkin really trying to say about life, society, and all that?

I also found out that Larkin used some, uh, colorful language in this book. Apparently, he even told a friend that it was full of four-letter words. It’s kind of funny to think about a poet being known for using bad words, but it makes his work feel more real, more down-to-earth, you know?

So, that’s my journey with “High Windows.” It was a bit of a challenge, not my usual kind of read, but I’m glad I did it. It’s always good to step out of your comfort zone, try something new. And I think I got a better understanding of Larkin and his poetry. He’s got this way of looking at the world, kind of sarcastic, but also really insightful. This book, it’s not just poems; it’s like a snapshot of a time and a way of thinking. Pretty cool, if you ask me.