Somewhere Becoming Rain by Clive James
My love of the poetry of Philip Larkin is no secret; I’ve written about him numerous times on the Ramblings, and most recently my encounter with his last collection of poetry, “High Windows“. Larkin is a poet I first discovered at Grammar School and his verse obviously had a profound effect on me as I’ve returned to his work over and over again throughout the years. Clive James is also an author I first read a long time ago; back in the 1980s, in fact, when he was a regular television face and his memoirs began to appear. As I’ve mentioned before, however, I only recently came to realise quite what an erudite man he was, and his latest collections of poetry and essays have been a bittersweet joy to read. So when I became aware that a book had been issued containing all of his writings on Larkin (a man he knew and admired), it was basically essential that I should read it – soon! Alas, the Birthday and Christmas Book Fairies didn’t deliver, but I did of course have a book token – and so “Somewhere Becoming Rain”, which turns out to be James’ last published book, was the first one I read in 2020.
The title is drawn from “The Whitsun Weddings”, one of of Larkin’s most brilliant verses, and it’s a motif which obviously resonated with James as it recurs throughout his writings on the poet. The book collects together a wide variety of material, ranging from reviews in the 1970s through poems (in particular, one written about learning of Larkin’s death), letters from the poet to James, coverage of a play performance of Larkin’s life, ending with a piece from 2018 on the poet’s letters and a final coda with a moving memory of an encounter between the two men. It’s a wonderful and stimulating mix of material and absolutely compelling; not only for a Larkin-lover like me, I think, but for anyone who appreciates good writing.
Larkin has never liked the idea of an artist Developing. Nor has he himself done so. But he has managed to go on clarifying what he was sent to say. The total impression of High Windows is of despair made beautiful. Real despair and real beauty, with not a trace of posturing in either. The book is the peer of the previous two mature collections, and if they did not exist would be just as astonishing. (1974)
As I read these pieces, gathered from all sorts of scattered places and publications, I found myself wishing I’d had access to them before now. The range, as I’ve said, is broad and each piece brings great understanding to Larkin’s work. James always responds to the problematic elements in the poet’s life in a measured way, giving context and constantly reminding you how the poetry is what is important.
Larkin is the poet of the void. The one affirmation his work offers is the possibility that when we have lost everything the problem of beauty will still remain. It’s enough. (1974)
And one of the fascinating elements of reading a collection which ranges over such a long period is watching James’ responses reflecting the changing perceptions of Larkin in the world at large. The latter’s public image has been through many changes over the decades, with the publication of biographies and collections of letters exposing his private life in a way he would never have been happy about. Reading James’ take on this clarified for me how impossible it is to really know anyone from a biography, or only certain elements of their life; frankly, even completely knowing the other humans we spend our lives with closely is very difficult. To judge and condemn Larkin’s behaviour so unilaterally seems wrong. All of James’ pieces build up to create an insightful picture of Larkin the poet and Larkin the man; he was a complex human being, like so many artists are.

Humphrey Ocean [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)%5D
Larkin is often regarded as a lugubrious and downbeat poet – of the void, as James says – and yet he’s somehow uplifting and dryly witty. In a letter to James from 1982 he comments that someone once said, “Age is an increasing punishment for a crime we have not committed”, and much of his best work deals with our ageing and mortality. However, as James pointed out in 1973, “Good poetry transforms and enhances life whatever it says. That is one of the reasons why we find it so special.” I couldn’t agree more and Larkin certainly enhances my psyche whenever I read him. One particularly lovely element of the book was James relating his meetings with Larkin and reproducing some letters; this humanised the poet very much, and it’s obvious that James thought very highly of Larkin as a person.
I can’t praise this book highly enough, really, and as I said I wish I’d had access to the pieces collected here before. Certainly, his review of the “Collected Works” volume of Larkin’s poetry was particularly helpful in crystallising my feelings about the book. I’ve had it for decades but have had doubts about the fact that the poems are presented in chronological order, and never felt entirely comfortable with that. James’ review makes it very clear how consciously Larkin placed his poems in relation to each other in his published collections, and that of course is lost in the collected volume. Reading “High Windows” as published recently was a powerful experience and although it’s nice to have everything Larkin ever wrote, I think I will pick up his other collections too and read them as he wanted them to be read. That somehow seems very important to me now.
Reading “Somewhere Becoming Rain” was everything I wanted it to be, and more; my first book of the year is certainly going to be a candidate for my end of year best of! It also helped me come to a decision about my Larkin books. If you have a look at the image above I shared some years ago of my Larkins, you’ll see a certain biography at the bottom. I picked it up in a charity shop but have never actually read it because of its reputation, and for how it presents and interprets Larkin. James’ deals with this head-on and analyses its faults better than I ever can; and this clarified my mind wonderfully. So this is now my pile of Larkins, with no Motion biography – I don’t need to read it and it’s now in the donate box.
More individual Larkin books will be added to the pile as I continue to enjoy and be moved by his work. “Somewhere Becoming Rain” started off my reading year wonderfully; it’s an erudite, funny, profound and wonderful read; and if nothing else, the book has made me connect more deeply with Larkin’s verse and revere him even more as poet. In the end, that’s all that matters.
Jan 20, 2020 @ 07:21:18
Just skimming your review for now as I have a copy of the book and would rather not know too much about it in advance. Good to see that you loved it so much – that’s a relief!
Jan 20, 2020 @ 13:36:36
I did indeed love it very much – hope it has the same effect on you! 😀
Jan 20, 2020 @ 09:35:29
You’ve expressed, brilliantly, so much of what I now know I think about what I already knew I felt about Larkin – if that makes sense! How he is at once uplifting and downbeat, the two positions and effects entirely co-dependent. Thank you for such a thoughtful post. As so often, reading one poet’s response to another sheds light on each and as I revere both Larkin and James I shall now simply have to have this marvellous sounding volume….
Jan 20, 2020 @ 13:36:17
Thank you – most kind. It’s odd how a poet so outwardly morose can effect you in such a positive way. I’ve always admired and loved Larkin, and I’m now seeing James in a different way, so this book was the perfect treat.
Jan 20, 2020 @ 12:13:20
Thank you for that. I have the book and am looking forward to it.
Jan 20, 2020 @ 13:24:27
I hope you enjoy it – two of my favourite authors in one book has to be good! 😀
Jan 20, 2020 @ 13:27:47
I’m a lover of Larkin’s poetry too — and of James’s later poetry. The earlier verse satires leave me cold. Ironically for him, he began to write his truly fine poetry when he was diagnosed with a fatal disease, confronted death and therefore his own vulnerability. Beauty and deep general thoughts that matter and speak home to us are still not all that matters. Both these poets leave out a or the woman’s point of view. Does that not bother you in the least? Because of this narrow perspective I found their criticism uneven — effective and true but in a limited perspective.
Jan 20, 2020 @ 13:45:13
I can’t really speak re James’ early poems as I don’t think I’ve read them. Certainly the later ones are beautiful and moving. And no, it doesn’t bother me at all – the poets are speaking (as I would expect all poets to do) of their own feelings, beliefs, view of the world, life etc. If I wanted a specifically female viewpoint I might turn to say Sexton or Plath or Woolf. I don’t expect any one poet or critic to encompass everything, so I read them for what truth and beauty they can bring me.
Jan 20, 2020 @ 15:35:32
A wonderful review of a superb book – I loved it too. I spotted the Motion biog in a charity shop – and would have bought it – had I not just read James’ book myself. We’re in agreement there.
Jan 20, 2020 @ 16:02:56
Thanks Annabel – it was such a good read! And so agree about the biog – I’m pleased to have relieved myself of the Motion book – I just want to appreciate Larkin’s wonderful poems for what they are.
Jan 20, 2020 @ 23:49:00
What a lovely book to buy with a voucher. I have never read Clive James, and most of all my Larkin knowledge comes from one particularly well known poem and his two novels. I dud watch James on TV back in the day, and he always came across as very intelligent and wonderfully quick witted. This book sounds perfect book for fans of both Clive James and Philip Larkin.
Jan 21, 2020 @ 11:26:23
It really was a treat and I’m so glad I got it. I’d mainly read James’ humorous books back in the day, so the more erudite side of him is new to me. He was indeed very sharp and quick-witted!
Jan 21, 2020 @ 07:15:45
Sounds like it would be ideal to read this alongside his poetry. Especially for someone like me who isn’t as familiar with his poetry.
Jan 21, 2020 @ 11:25:23
I think it would be an excellent companion, yes – James brings so much insight to Larkin’s work!
Jan 21, 2020 @ 11:31:55
I need to get back to A Girl in Winter. The beginning was so good.
Jan 21, 2020 @ 11:37:02
Oh, yes! I thought it was a wonderful book – so atmospheric, and a shame really he never wrote more fiction!
Jan 21, 2020 @ 12:01:46
How lovely to start the year with such a successful read!
Jan 21, 2020 @ 14:32:43
It was! And I’ve been tearing through lovely books since, so I really must try to catch up with reviews!!
Jan 22, 2020 @ 12:54:51
Such a lovely review Kaggsy, thank you. I will definitely be reading this, it sounds a wonderfully thoughtful exploration of Larkin’s work. I agree re biographies – I hardly ever read those of writers I admire. As you say, you can never capture a whole person, and I would rather know them through the work they chose to send out into the world.
Jan 22, 2020 @ 15:50:27
Thank you Madame B! I can’t recommend this highly enough and I’m glad it saved me from the Motion. I prefer my own interpretation of Larkin from his writings, than someone else’s….
Jan 23, 2020 @ 22:14:38
James’ persona on TV hid just how intelligent and insightful he could be. We only really saw that side of him when he was diagnosed sadly.
Jan 24, 2020 @ 11:46:24
Yes, you’re right. He did hide up his erudition and it’s a shame we only discovered that late.
Jan 26, 2020 @ 16:21:34
There are a number of his programmes being re-run at the moment so I’m indulging in the memories of what we’ve lost
Jan 26, 2020 @ 16:42:50
Yes – a lovely way to revisit him and it *is* a great loss… 😦
Jan 25, 2020 @ 19:08:56
What a special and perfect book for you. And glad it saved you from reading a bad one, too! That’s interesting about the collections, I hadn’t thought of that with the collected works being in a different order.
Jan 25, 2020 @ 19:23:55
It *was* perfect, yes. And I’m so glad I didn’t read the biog. As for the poems, I don’t think it’s always a given that a collected works shuffles the poetry into chronological order – I own several that retain the structure of the original published individual volumes. But the man that put together the Larkin *did*, and it wasn’t until James pointed out how important the placing of the poems was that I really started to think about it. And now I need to get all his originally published volumes!
Jan 25, 2020 @ 22:50:59
Thank you for this insightful review (and your many others – have just discovered your blog). Being a fan of Clive James’ poetry, you should investigate his early collaborations (early to mid 70s) with the singer songwriter Pete Atkin, who set to music a number of texts written specifically for him by Clive. They released another album together in 2015. There is a book from 2018 documenting their joint work, called, “Loose Cannon. The extraordinary songs of Pete Atkin and Clive James”
Jan 26, 2020 @ 10:46:19
Thank you – most kind! And thank you for the hint – I have a feeling I’m only just starting to explore James’ work and the Atkin collaboration sounds essential! 😀
Feb 05, 2020 @ 15:56:17
Hah! That comment about the audience’s response (diptheria!)…I can see where this kind of short and sharp observation would bring an unexpected layer of enjoyment to the volume. An unexpected bonus!
Feb 05, 2020 @ 16:09:31
James was a wonderfully sharp and funny author, which made thise an even better read. Loved it!
Feb 06, 2020 @ 09:39:25