Philip Larkin is the finest English poet of our time. His poetic personality - nostalgic, wry, melancholy, ironic, witty and haunting, has appealed to a far wider audience than that of literary specialists, while also winning the respect of leading critics and fellow poets. This new edition of Lerner's popular study relates Larkin's poetry to his life and to the literary and social environment of post-war Britain. It discusses the Larkin persona, his relation to literary criticism and, above all, seeks to guide readers to a full appreciation of the power and subtlety of his best poems. "Richard III" has the status of a monster in British culture, and the continuous popularity of Shakespeare's play has done much to foster this. Deformity and distortion operate through this myth on many levels. This study is an essay in five 'distortions', tracking the way the play manipulates and explodes fundamental human concerns: the body, history, theatre, childhood and family and the mirrors and shadows of individual identity and self knowledge.