Classic to Modern English Literature

  Q : How does Larkin employ imagery and symbolism in “ An Arundel Tomb ” to convey the theme of timelessness and the enduring nature of love ?   “ An Arundel Tomb ” was written in 1956 by the British poet Philip Larkin . It was Included as the final poem in his 1964 collection The Whitsun Weddings , and is also one of his another best known works. It reflects on the enduring image of a medieval couple’s effigies holding hands, contemplating the nature of love and how it is perceived across time. In January 1956 , Larkin takes a short vacation on England’s South Coast, during which he visited Chichester Cathedral . In the cathedral, he saw a monument to the fourteenth-century earl of Arundel and his wife that showed them lying together hand in Hand. This image was the inspiration for “ An Arundel Tomb ,” which Larkin began soon after his return to his job as librarian at Hull University . The poem was finished on February 20, 1956 . Larkin contributed to The Daily Teleg