This Be The Verse - Philip Larkin

[Resurgam]

This Be The Verse - Philip Larkin

They fuck you up, your mum and dad.

They may not mean to, but they do.

They fill you with the faults they had

And add some extra, just for you.

But they were fucked up in their turn

By fools in old-style hats and coats,

Who half the time were soppy-stern

And half at one another’s throats.

Man hands on misery to man.

It deepens like a coastal shelf.

Get out as early as you can,

And don’t have any kids yourself.

Not sure if this is the place for a published poet's work - and a famous one at that. Recently I had the sad occasion to meet a young teen whose life wasn't all sunshine and roses essentially because he was the lesser loved of two sibblings. His sense of self worth and self confidence was already pretty shot, he expected to fail at everything, and acted accordingly. Larkin's first verse says it all.

[Cole Parker]

I'm not much for poetry, but that one is very good! Both for what it says and how is says it.

C

[colinian]

I hope that teen has been able to turn his life around and begin succeeding.

I'm also ecstatic that my folks aren't like the ones in that poem.

Colin

[Bruin Fisher]

I can attest to the truth in Larkin's poem. Takes a whole lifetime to repair the damage, too...

[larkin]

Do I ever love this piece. He is my avatar's namesake.

I just happen to post this very piece on another site the the censor application replaced all the words. "Fuck" with the word "Love" which ruined Mr. Larkin's poem...