LitCharts (2024)

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"A Study of Reading Habits" was published in Philip Larkin's popular third collection, The Whitsun Weddings (1964). The poem's speaker describes how reading once offered him an escape and seemed to promise a different kind of life (e.g., getting back at the school bullies!). Now that he's older, books no longer work their magic on him—and, even more painfully, he's come to see himself in their lesser characters. The disillusioned speaker thus concludes that "Books are a load of crap."

• Read the full text of “A Study of Reading Habits”

• “A Study of Reading Habits” Summary

• “A Study of Reading Habits” Themes

  • 

    Literature, Escapism, and Disenchantment

    Where this theme appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-18

  • 

    Youthful Naiveté and Adult Disappointment

    Where this theme appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-18

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “A Study of Reading Habits”

  • Lines 1-4

    When getting my ...
    ... still keep cool,

  • Lines 5-6

    And deal out ...
    ... twice my size.

  • Lines 7-12

    Later, with inch-thick ...
    ... up like meringues.

  • Lines 13-17

    Don't read much ...
    ... far too familiar.

    See Also

    Critical Appreciation of Philip Larkin’s Poem, "The North Ship": Life Award for Best Philosophical Access

  • Lines 17-18

    Get stewed: ...
    ... load of crap.

• “A Study of Reading Habits” Symbols

  • 

    Poor Vision / Glasses

    Where this symbol appears in the poem:

    • Lines 3-4: “It was worth ruining my eyes / To know I could still keep cool,”
    • Lines 7-8: “Later, with inch-thick specs, / Evil was just my lark:”

• “A Study of Reading Habits” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

  • Alliteration

    Where alliteration appears in the poem:

    • Line 5: “deal”
    • Line 6: “dirty dogs”
    • Line 13: “Don't,” “dude”
    • Line 14: “down”
    • Line 16: “store”
    • Line 17: “Seem,” “far,” “familiar,” “stewed”

  • Irony

    Where irony appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-12
    • Lines 13-17

  • Metaphor

    Where metaphor appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-2: “When getting my nose in a book / Cured most things short of school,”
    • Line 11: “The women I clubbed with sex!”
    • Line 17: “Get stewed:”

  • Simile

    Where simile appears in the poem:

    • Line 12: “I broke them up like meringues.”

• “A Study of Reading Habits” Vocabulary

  Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

  • Short of
  • Right hook
  • Dirty Dogs
  • Specs
  • Lark
  • Fangs
  • Ripping
  • Clubbed
  • Meringues
  • Dude
  • Yellow
  • Chap
  • Store
  • Stewed

  • (Location in poem: Lines 1-2: “When getting my nose in a book / Cured most things short of school,”)

• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “A Study of Reading Habits”

  • Form

  • Meter

  • Rhyme Scheme

• “A Study of Reading Habits” Speaker

• “A Study of Reading Habits” Setting

• Literary and Historical Context of “A Study of Reading Habits”

• More “A Study of Reading Habits” Resources

  • External Resources

    • The Poem Out Loud— "A Study of Reading Habits" read by Larkin himself.

    • Larkin's Life and Work— A short radio documentary about Larkin produced by the BBC.

    • The Paris Review Interview— Check out Philip Larkin's interview with The Paris Review, which was published in 1982 as part of the magazine's "The Art of Poetry" series.

    • Interview with the Poet— Watch poet John Betjeman interview Philip Larkin in 1964.

    • More Poems and a Biography— Further resources on Larkin from the Poetry Foundation.

    • Portrait of the Artist— Browse the six portraits of Philip Larkin collected in the National Portrait Gallery's online archive.

  • LitCharts on Other Poems by Philip Larkin

    • Afternoons

    • An Arundel Tomb

    • Church Going

    • Coming

    • Home Is So Sad

    • MCMXIV

    • Money

    • Mr Bleaney

    • Next, Please

    • Poetry of Departures

    • Talking in Bed

    • The Trees

    • The Whitsun Weddings

    • This Be The Verse

    • Water