Theo Hobson Theo Hobson

Ted Hughes vs Philip Larkin – whose team are you on?

Are you a Phillist or a Teddist? A Phillist is not a Philistine in a hurry, but one who warms to the sensibility of Philip Larkin. A Teddist prefers that of Ted Hughes. Recent BBC documentaries on each poet have clarified the choice. Whose vision of life is more convincing and compelling – the glum librarian or the dashing naturalist who made the ladies swoon (in and out of ovens)?

To define their difference it’s tempting to call Hughes a Romantic, and Larkin an anti-Romantic.

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Theo Hobson
Written by
Theo Hobson
Theo Hobson is the author of seven books, including God Created Humanism: the Christian Basis of Secular Values

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