Confronting the Nihilistic Abyss: Active and Passive Nihilists in Philip Larkin’s Poetry

Abstract

This research serves to identify and distinguish the active and passive nihilists in Philip Larkin’s poetry based on their varied responses to the nihilistic phenomenon. Although considerable critique exists in relation to the nihilistic attributes in Larkin’s poetry, the differentiation of nihilists into two types - active and passive - has not been explored in depth in the current literary research on Larkin. The aim of this study, therefore, is to evaluate the markedly different ways in which Larkin’s poetic personae confront the absence of meaning.  As a theoretical premise, this research incorporates the Nietzschean framework of nihilism and draws on the perspectives offered by Keiji Nishitani, Ashley Woodward, and Krzysztof Michalski. A confrontation with the nihilistic abyss elicits different reactions from the active and passive nihilists evident in Larkin’s verse. Passive nihilists resist any form of change that would disrupt the status quo, whereas active nihilists bravely assume the challenge of deconstructing all existing norms. Furthermore, passive nihilists in Larkin’s poetry are characterized by a sense of resignation and voluntary escapism in relation to meaningless oblivion. For the active nihilists, however, all forms of escape are inherently disappointing since they recognize the ephemeral nature of transient fulfillment. By discarding all illusions and subjecting the socially sanctioned values to skepticism, the active nihilists in Larkin’s verse are able to create space for self-transformation, thereby carving out a meaningful alternative to previously held values.