Solar

Philip Larkin (1922—1985) ↗

Suspended lion face
Spilling at the centre
Of an unfurnished sky
How still you stand,
And how unaided
Single stalkless flower
You pour unrecompensed.

The eye sees you
Simplified by distance
Into an origin,
Your petalled head of flames
Continuously exploding.
Heat is the echo of your
Gold.

Coined there among
Lonely horizontals
You exist openly.
Our needs hourly
Climb and return like angels.
Unclosing like a hand,
You give for ever.

Notes

Larkin breaks from his characteristic cynical detachment to offer a rare, uncharacteristic hymn of praise to the sun, viewing it as an untamed, self-yielding engine of pure light. It introduces a brilliant, blinding warmth to July’s philosophy of lightness, celebrating a cosmic force that continuously spends its immense energy without demanding a return or hoarding its wealth. By focusing on a magnificent presence that remains entirely unburdened by human anxiety or ego, the poem invites the self to look upward, drop its heavy defenses, and simply bask in an untethered, perpetual gift. . #poetry #philiplarkin #sun #solar #summer

About the author

Philip Larkin ↗

Philip Arthur Larkin was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. His first book of poetry, The North Ship, was published in 1945, followed by two novels, Jill (1946) and A Girl in Winter (1947). He came to prominence in 1955 with the publication of his second collection of poems, The Less Deceived, followed by The Whitsun Weddings (1964) and High Windows (1974). He contributed to The Daily Telegraph as its jazz critic from 1961 to 1971, with his articles gathered in All What Jazz: A Record Diary 1961–71 (1985), and edited The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse (1973). His many honours include the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. He was offered, but declined, the position of Poet Laureate in 1984, following the death of Sir John Betjeman.