His first book of poetry, The North Ship, was published in 1945, followed by two novels, Jill (1946) and A Girl in Winter (1947), and he came to prominence in 1955 with the publication of his second collection of poems, The Less Deceived, followed by The Whitsun Weddings (1964) and High Windows (1974).
Buku puisi pertamanya, The North Ship, diterbitkan pada 1945, disusul oleh dua novel, Jill (1946) dan A Girl in Winter (1947), dan ia meraih ketenaran pada 1955 dengan penerbitan kumpulan puisi kedua buatannya, The Less Deceived, disusul oleh The Whitsun Weddings (1964) dan High Windows (1974).