The Analysis Of The Philip Larkin’s Poem “This Be The Verse”

Philip Larkin’s “This Be The Verse” shows readers a combination of three emotions and opinions in a very short three-stanzas. The risky first line of the poem draws the reader in, but then it continues to convey bitterness and hopelessness. Finally, the poem concludes with an imperative. This paper will review the tone and subject matter changes of each stanza. We’ll also examine key images that link one element to the other.

The title Larkin’s poem “This Be The Verse,” gives the reader an impression that it will discuss a serious topic. The poem’s title is a strong indication that there is an important lesson to learn for all. This sets the tone for Larkin’s writing. Larkin’s first line of the poem is the only thing that can detract from the traditionality of Larkin’s insight. This introduction sets the standard that Larkin wants to encourage the reader to consider a topic that is important, but also to show that he is not trying to discourage the reader from doing so. “They fuck up, your mom and dad,” (Larkin 9) Larkin uses this phrase in the third line of the third verse. (Larkin 9, 9). He also suggests that the issue with procreation lies in the generation before them: “They were fucked-up in their turn.” After that, Bethany Stuart, the author, makes a very important point. She refers to the last line of the poem, “Get out the earliest you can.” (Larkin 11,). Stuart stated that “Larkin does provide an answer, which in the literal interpretation would prevent conception from ever taking place” (Stuart 2011). Larkin’s perspective on reproduction is always reaffirmed by this constant tone. The subject matter in “This Be The Verse”, varies from stanza-to-stanza. Larkin wrote in stanza 1, “They fucky you up mom and dad” The poem’s opening line presents a harsh impression to the reader. The subject matter is revealed to revolve between the second and first stanzas. Larkin, in stanza 2, writes that “half of the time were soppystern and half as angry as one another.” (Larkin 7, 7). This is a clear statement about the fact familial disputes are an everyday reality in almost all households. Carriere addresses this shift in subject matter. “Larkin’s poem is no longer an angry statement, but a letter with advice for any children who read it,” (Commis 2012). Larkin concludes the poem with this last stanza: “Get out of here as soon as you can and don’t have children.” (Larkin 11-12). Larkin’s anger has been transformed into a realistic understanding of the cycle of parent raising children. The final stanza shows this shift. The quote above shows that Larkin acknowledges the “continuing circle of corrupted minds after corrupted minds” (Carriere 2012). Larkin responds with a quick solution. Don’t have children. Larkin’s finger-pointing gesture in stanza 1 to moderate acceptance in the second stanza and his suggestion that no one reproduces in the third stanza make it clear that there has been a shift in subject matter. The narrator then “replaces his aggressive tone by a more understanding tone that is more accepting of parents’ mistakes” (Carriere 2012). This poem is full of repetition, and the word “they”, which is used often, shows this. It is used six-times, “five of these only in the second stanza, as the leitmotif” [This Be the Verse It is used to make a comment on parents and predecessors each time it is used (This Be The Verse This poem also shows rhythm. Each stanza contains four lines. Each line has a different rhythm. This shows that the ‘cycle’ is consistent for all generations and does not change (Newman). Katie Newman said that the three stanzas have identical rhythms and could be used to represent a family unit or a father, child, and mother, or any number of generations within a family. The poem uses a repeated rhyme scheme. Similar to Newman’s analogy above, in which Newman described the rhythm as a “cycle” of generations (Newman), readers can also see that the rhyme scheme supports Larkin’s message. His rhyme scheme is “a pattern from which it cannot be escaped” (Churchill 2016,). Philip Larkin’s “This Be The Verse” is a perfect precedent for a poetry because of its considerable tone, changes to subject matter in each stanza, key images that are used to associate one element with another. “Larkin” has an unusual view of the familial situation. This is why it will be hard to forget. Phillip Larkin wrote the poem “This Be the Verse” to express the idea of parents having a negative influence in their children’s lives. This shows how parents inadvertently ruin their offspring. They put all their emotional weight onto their children, leading to destruction. The curse is not only unavoidable but also generational. Parents might inflict their own pain upon their children, and their sons or daughters will then carry that pain onto their offspring. Philip Larkin elaborates on the theme by using literary devices such as alliteration, repetition, irony and internal rhyme to reinforce his point. The title of the poem is ironic. It is because of the self-importance of the word “the” along with the grandiosity of the phrasing that the reader should pay attention to the poetry, which contains great wisdom. Larkin also uses “verse” to refer to poetry, both in specific stanzas and also the Bible. You can see the irony in phrases like “This, the word for the Lord”

It is clear that each stanza contains 4 lines and that each rhythm is the identical, indicating that the cycle’ is constant for each generation. The third stanza of the quotation “deepens as a coast shelf” echoes this idea. Larkin uses this simile to show how the ‘cycle’ is hard to escape. Because the deepening a coast shelf is a natural phenomenon that happens on all coastlines around the globe, this image shows the reader the impossibility to fight it. Because waves are constantly occurring, the repetition of the cycle is also reinforced by the use of waves. Larkin’s use in alliteration to refer to “Man hands onto misery to men” draws attention to it. It also emphasizes the point that he is trying to make. This is because humans are responsible for creating their own “misery” and can be held accountable for their mistakes. Humans are also our worst enemies. The words “hands-on”, which suggest that humanity’s problems are inherited from our ancestors, may also indicate that Larkin is suggesting to readers that global warming is the result of generations of people making mistakes. Larkin uses the word “And” to begin each stanza’s final line. This shows the cycle of life, which is all around us. It gives the feeling that each stanza represents a list of things that will never end and has been passed along through the generations. Larkin also uses anaphora to illustrate our cyclical way in life. It could also suggest that man has no control over his own life and is dependent on the help of others. Larkin’s last line suggests that there’s a way to escape the ‘cycle. That is, to not have any children yourself. This shows that stopping the cycle from repeating itself and breaking the grip of humanity is the only way to end the ‘cycle. Larkin’s message suggests that the only way to make your life better is to end the cycle. However, the message also states that the cycle can never be broken and nothing will ever change. The poem ends with the above quote. This gives the impression that hope is possible and that the seemingly inexorable ‘cycle’ can be broken. Phillip Larkin used several literary devices to communicate the powerful message he was trying to send. Parents’ parenting styles can cause children to become unhappy by planting seeds. It is a vicious cycle that leaves children vulnerable and unable to cope.