Philip Larkin (1922-1985) wrote The Whitsun Weddings in 1964. This poetry collection can be viewed as a `satiric sociological commentary' that `combines the provincial and national' in his representations of ordinary life in the 1960's. Larkin is viewed by many as being pessimistic about life, however I believe that essentially he is a realist not afraid to comment on life's ironies and inevitabilities. Larkin often tackles death in his poetry, and at times appears to be preoccupied with death and transience. Deprivation features highly in his poetry, in fact one quotation from Larkin `Deprivation is to me what daffodils were to Wordsworth' suggests that deprivation functioned as his muse.

The theme of deprivation features in `Mr Bleaney', Mr Bleaney is financially and spiritually deprived. This poem can be interpreted as a self - portrait by Larkin, at the end of the poem he appears to show a certain degree...