Which statement best describes Larkin's life as given in the context of Afternoons?

• A. He travelled extensively and married multiple times.
• B. He wrote several travelogues about distant lands.
• C. Larkin lived a restricted life as a librarian and never married or travelled abroad.
• D. He led a public life as a diplomat.

Answer: (C)

Biographical context shapes how Afternoons reads, since the poem’s quiet, observant voice mirrors a life lived largely within familiar spaces. The statement that best fits is that Larkin lived a restricted life as a librarian and never married or travelled abroad. The librarian role anchors a measured, routine existence, while the lack of travel or public engagement fits the poem’s themes of time slipping away and opportunities narrowing. The other options imply activities or roles—extensive travel, multiple marriages, travel writing, or a public diplomatic life—that Afternoons does not present in its contextual frame.