The introduction to Larkin's Collected Poems mentions how Larkin meticulously dated the drafts of his poems in his notepad. Sometimes several years would elapse between drafts, three and a half years between first draft and final version of 'Love Songs in Age', for example. Other times the gap may not be so broad but the number of reworkings give pause for thought: 21 pages of drafts for 'Church Going', a total of 31 for 'The Whitsun Weddings'.
And then I think of my own efforts. Two, maybe three drafts at the most, in quick succession, sometimes one straight after the other. Span of time between triggering thought/phrase/image and initial draft? The shortest an hour, the most three days. And then I wonder why my poems are crap!
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Larkin's Letters to Monica
Have you read Larkin's Letters to Monica?
Seems like Larkin spent all his time - when not working - reading, thinking, writing and rewriting. Makes you wonder how people find the time to be a poet and live a normal life. Or perhaps they don't?
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I think they probably don't!
I wish I could cut down on my work time so I could dedicate more time to writing. Well, we can all dream I guess.