[Janice D. Soderling]

Eratosphere moderator Greg Dowling is the author of an interesting essay on Byronic influence on Auden's poetry at Contemporary Poetry Review. Check it out and learn. http://www.cprw.com/Misc/auden.htm

Also a "classic reading" by Greg of Philip Larkin's Here

http://www.cprw.com/Misc/larkin2.htm

Also a short essay on Larkin and Happiness by Rachel Wetzston. Her death was certainly a loss to the poetry world.

[Adam Elgar]

Well spotted, Janice!

Beautiful interpretations, Gregory. You've perfectly caught the quality of that enjambment straddling Larkin's stanzas 3 and 4 - among many great insights into both poets.

[W.F. Lantry]

Wow, Greg. That Byron/Auden piece is deeply impressive. Congrats!

Thanks,

Bill

[Gregory Dowling]

Thanks, Janice, for posting this, and thanks, Adam and Bill, for the kind remarks. I was very pleased that my Larkin piece appeared in such fine company - the excellent essays by Bill Coyle and John Drexel and the very moving one by Rachel Wetzsteon, made even more touching by the fact that it appeared after her death. "Larkin and Happiness" - a topic that might seem perverse but which she shows not to be so at all.