The Less Deceived

Philip Larkin's second collection, 'The Less Deceived' was published by The Marvell Press in 1955. 'The Less Deceived' contained the mature Philip Larkin style—that of a detached observer of what Jean Hartley referred to as 'ordinary people doing ordinary things' - the virtues of which came to be associated with The Movement, the post-war generation of poets that used plain language and traditional forms to address everyday life in Britain. The themes of 'The Less Deceived' resonated with readers and it became one of the most outstanding collections of 1955.