’s This Be The Verse Essay, Research Paper
This Be the Verse by Philip Larkin
They *censored* 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 *censored*ed up in their turn
By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were sloppy-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.
Lately, I have read a good deal of poems by Philip Larkin, and one unifying factor that I have noticed is that Larkin never seems to use a filler. Every word in every one of his poems seems to be carefully crafted and placed, to the point where the flow and rhythm of the poem seem almost an accident. One poem I read that really stayed with me is the above poem, “This be the Verse.” I will now show you how this poem, which at first glance seems to be written only to amuse, really has a much deeper meaning. I will examine the poem in several parts. First, I would like to examine the use of curse words in the poem, or why other words that would be considered more acceptable to the general public were not used. Then, I will discuss the three stanzas of the poem and what they were meant to do for the audience. Lastly, I will explore why Larkin would write such a poem, and what he was trying to get across to his audience by writing it.
The second line in this poem contains the word “*censored*,” a word that is usually not considered acceptable for the general public. Yet Larkin incorporates it almost immediately into his poem. I can think of four possible reasons why. Firstly, words such as *censored* quickly and easily grab the audiences attention. This is similar to yelling “sex” in a crowded marketplace, everyone wants to know what is being discussed. Also, words like *censored* prepare the audience for a humorous bit of poetry, and this perks the audience’s attention, and lets them know off the bat that this will not be another long and boring verse.
Secondly, words such as *censored* produce an atmosphere for adults, or mature people. One term that is used quite extensively lately is “adult language.” This term branches off of the common idea that children should and would not use such words until they are older and have a more concrete knowledge of what they are really saying. Thus, by using a word such as *censored*, Larkin creates a poem that will most likely not be read to children. Also, such a poem would not be read at certain social gatherings (i.e. church meetings) where such words are considered unacceptable, further narrowing the audience for this poem.
That brings me to my third point: that the people who read such a poem know, whether consciously or not, that they are in a distinct group, and that this poem was written for them. This allows Larkin to establish a closeness with his readers, now that they know that he is writing for them. This also implies to the reader that Larkin is one of them, that he knows the reader well, because he is in the same social class. To sum it up, by using a word considered to be socially incorrect, Larkin has managed to establish more credibility with the reader, which inherently forces the reader listen up, and pay attention to what Larkin has to say.
Lately, “modern” art and poetry are showing more and more “unacceptable” words. This is because such words have become synonymous with “truth.” In other words, the general public seems to feel that if an artist is using curse words, then he must be “telling it like it is.” Thus, using such words helps Larkin’s credibility as a man who has seen and will now tell.
Larkin’s poem is divided into three stanzas, each with it’s own meaning and objectives. The first stanza is the introduction. As discussed above, the first stanza singles out a select group of people and builds Larkin’s credibility with them. But beyond that, the first stanza also inspires several other feeling in the reader, just from the actual words it uses. The very first line, in fact, insults your own parents. Larkin did this in order to provoke a slight feeling of anger, one which he will dispense soon afterward. By the second line, Larkin has already started to divert the initial blow to your parents, saying that it is not their fault for what they did to you. By the third and forth line, the insult has been successfully shifted from your parents to you, the reader. However, Larkin manages to shift not only the insult, but that same feeling of anger toward the author, except that now the anger is there because the author insulted you.
In the second stanza, Larkin again justifies why it is not your parents fault for what they did to you. Instead, he shifts the blame to your grandparents. However, if this poem were read by your parents, then the blame would be shifted back another generation. And so on, until it is clear that the corruption of children has been going on for ever, back to the first humans. On the other hand, should this poem be read by your children, then it would once again be your parents fault. And so on, into infinity, it is everyone’s fault, for somewhere there will be someone to blame their faults on you. The last two lines of the second stanza describe how the readers grandparents (or whomever the blame is being shifted on) went about “*censored*ing you up.” However, the description that Larkin uses is a very typical description of what is considered a modern household, again implying that nothing is anyone’s fault, but that we are all contributing to “*censored*ing up” of the world.
The third stanza presents the problem in it’s simplest form, and then provides the solution to the problem. The problem is stated on the first line, and the second line emphasizes the fact that this is a growing problem that seemingly can’t be stopped. The last two lines of the poem then provide the solution: to stop reproducing. This is where Larkin says to the world that there is no way out of this problem. That the human race will either have to cease to exist, or simply live with all of it’s problems.
Like all of his poems, Larkin wrote “This be the Verse” with very careful planning and word placement. And even though this is a funny poem, it has a very deep message to share with the world. Everyone knows that the world is full of problems, and that hundreds of organizations are trying hard to fix all of the problems in order to make our lives better. However, as demonstrated in the poem, we can never absolve all our problems because we keep handing all of our flaws on to posterity. Thus, the human race will forever have problems, and although we work hard to decrease some, we will always have new problems, and there will never be a completely happy world. And this lesson can be applied to a smaller environment as well. All the way through a country’s internal problems, a city’s problems, a family’s problems and the problems one has with oneself. No one can ever lead a perfectly happy life. There will always be problems to overcome.
34f
Другие работы по теме:
Alexander The Great Essay Research Paper Peter
Alexander The Great Essay, Research Paper Peter Green Alexander the Great New York, NY. Praeger Publishers, Inc 1970 In Peter Green?s Alexander the Great he tells some of the story of Alexander and how one must know the story of Philip of Macedon in order to know the story of Alexander. Philip was a powerful leader and figure in mid 300 B.C.
Frankenstein Essay Research Paper Philip HwangPer 1
Frankenstein Essay, Research Paper Philip Hwang Per 1 Mc Cracken 9/5/00 Summer Reading Drearier enough it all began with a choice to chose what was to be read this summer. Many book to select from, yet one with a magical tone to it caught my eye, Mary Shelley?s Frankenstein. Reading it gave a 2nd person point of view, interchanging with Dr.
Perspective In As For Me And My
House Essay, Research Paper Imaginative Center uncut, uncensored: Philip Bentley In order to fully understand a piece of literature and authorial intent, the reader must utilize unconventional methods of perspective. In Sinclair Ross f, As for me and my House, the use of perspective becomes climacteric in determining a veridical comprehension of the imaginative center of the novel, Philip Bentley.
Christopher Skase
– The Sick Tycoon Essay, Research Paper In the early 1980’s a young confident man named Christopher Charles Skase became world famous by amassing a list of assets including a multi-million dollar company called Quintex, the
Mao A Necessary Evil Essay Research Paper
MAO: A NECESSARY EVIL The lecture that Philip Short gave on his book Mao: A Necessary Evil was a very interesting insight into the life of the controversial leader of China. He started by talking about Mao s early life, growing up in central China. There was very little outside influence there, and life was lived the same way it had for hundreds of years.
The Plight Of The Toads Essay Research
Paper The Plight of the Toads Toad. The word conjures up images of a grotesque, little amphibian and yet it is this little animal that Larkin decides to base his poem on. He describes two toads. One is the exterior influence that society has on and individual to work, and the other is the interior or personal prompting to work.
The Crucible Essay Research Paper The production
The Crucible Essay, Research Paper The production of THE CRUCIBLE by Arthur Miller had many high points of suspense and action. Mainly involving the trials and tribulations of John Proctor. Mr. Philip G. Hill’s view of Miller’s THE CRUCIBLE is strong; emotion filled and does an excellent job of summarizing this classic production.
Not For Children Essay Research Paper book
Not For Children Essay, Research Paper book reviewsNot for childrenA few months ago, the writer Philip Pullman gave a speech to some booksellers and publishers in which, inter alia, he exclaimed: ‘Down with children’s books!’ To put this in context, he added that: ‘When you say, “This book is for children”, what you are really saying is, “This book is not for grown-ups.’ ” He went on: ‘But I don’t care who’s in my audience – all I care is that there should be as many of them as possible.’ To those who are acquainted with Pullman’s work, this was a slightly puzzling rallying cry.
Personal Essay Look Before You Leap Essay
, Research Paper Personal Essay: Look Before You Leap One bright Easter day about four years ago, my family had gone to my grandparents’ house to celebrate Easter like we usually do each year. We talked,
Compare The Portrayal Of Childhood In Charles
Dickens? ?Great Expectations? And Graham Greenes? ?The Essay, Research Paper Charles Dickens? ?Great expectations? and Graham Greenes ?The Fallen Idol? both portray childhood in very interesting and
After The Bomb Essay Research Paper After
After The Bomb Essay, Research Paper After The bomb Setting In this story they had been using the following places. Bunker – it is a small room underground, out side the house which is use for any emergency. It just happened that Philip was in the room and playing with guitar and his brother Matt looking for him and found him in the room, and Cara followed in. School Gym ? here where a party. Vista Del Valle ? a village where Cara live.
Time And Love Essay Research Paper Corporations
Time And Love Essay, Research Paper Corporations or Consumers, Who is Responsible? The lives and daily routines of many Americans are affected by corporate activities. Corporations provide the basic necessities like food and water as well as luxuries and pleasures of everyday living. These corporations generate wealth for the economy and their shareholders, and provide employment for much of the population.
My Week Philip Pullman Essay Research Paper
‘I didn’t expect to win’Philip Pullman, 55, became the first children’s writer to win the Ј25,000 Whitbread Book of the Year prize on Tuesday, with The Amber Spyglass, the third instalment of the magical His Dark Materials trilogy. I did some writing in my shed on Saturday morning. It’s a shorter book than the last one – a fairy tale along the lines of I Was a Rat which was recently dramatised by the BBC.
Philip Larkin Essay Research Paper In his
Philip Larkin Essay, Research Paper ?In his poems Larkin denies the possibility of spirituality in the real world.? Discuss. Philip Larkin writes in a style which is that of a realist, if a slightly pessimistic one. He does not refer to spirituality directly but in many of his poems there are undertones that suggest it is something that troubles him and to which he gives a lot of thought.
Saint Philip Neri Essay Research Paper Saint
Saint Philip Neri Essay, Research Paper Saint Philip Neri was born in Florence, Italy, in the year 1515. He was the oldest son of Francis Neri and Lucretia Soldi, both descendants of Tuscan
Bring Out The Big Guns Essay Research
Paper Bring out the big guns The War Against Clichй Martin Amis (Vintage) A combative title for a collection of what is considered – by non-practitioners – to be a genteel art: book-reviewing. Well, it’s not. And fighting against clichй is as good a stance as any to adopt. Here is Amis on Michael Crichton’s The Lost World (Malcolm and Rossiter, incidentally, are “characters” in the novel): “The characterization has been delegated to two or three thrashed and downtrodden adverbs.” (Amis here inserts a deadpan half-paragraph of select quotation, where everyone either says things “irritably” or “gloomily”.) “Malcolm seems to own ‘gloomily’; but then you irritably notice that Rossiter is behaving ‘gloomily’ too, and gloomily discover that Malcolm is behaving ‘irritably’.
Of Human Bondage Essay Research Paper Family
Of Human Bondage Essay, Research Paper Family, love, and friendships are a few of the many colorful threads that are taken and woven into a tapestry of life. Every person one meets on the way will influence the patterns of that tapestry. Every incident, be it tragic or cheerful, will guide the shuttle to take on new directions.
Moon Essay Essay Research Paper MoonAn object
Moon Essay Essay, Research Paper Moon An object can represent many different things to many different people. One object of interest is the moon. Philip Larkin, the speaker of Sad Steps, and Sir Philip Sidney, speaker of sonnet 31 from Astrophel and Stella, have different feelings and attitudes towards the moon.
King Richard The Lion Hearted Essay Research
Paper King Richard 1st was called Coeur de Lion, which means Lion Hearted. He was born in Oxford, England1157. He was the third son of Henry 2nd and Eleanor of Aquitaine. While Richard was still a baby he was betrothed to daughter of the French king Louis VII, and in 1172 he was given the duchy of Aquitaine in France, his mother’s inheritance.
After The Bomb Essay Research Paper
- Book Summary After the Bomb written by Gloria Miklowitz is a thrilling novel that takes place before, during, and after a bomb which supposedly was sent from Russia by accident. L.A. and surrounding
Spanish And French Monarchial Beliefs
– The Escorial And Versailles Essay, Research Paper The palace of Versailles was built by Louis XIV of France (1643-1715), and the Escorial was built by Philip II of Spain (1556-1598). By examining the aerial and frontal facades of these two palaces, it may be seen that there were many similarities and differences between the two kings? perception and practice of monarchy.
Philip Of Macedon Essay Research Paper The
Philip Of Macedon Essay, Research Paper The internal reforms that took place under Philip, strengthened Macedonia and enabled him to conquer the Greek states. Philip used the League of Corinth to consolidate and maintain his power through terms of peace.
Explication Of
“A Study Of Reading Habits” Essay, Research Paper Explication of “A Study of Reading Habits” “A Study of Reading Habits,” is Philip Larkin?s poetic warning that escapism and ignoring reality only makes real life less fulfilling. Larkin develops this idea via a narrator who prefers to escape from life rather than deal with it, as well as through changing use of language and subtle irony.
Observer Review The Shield Of Achilles By
Philip Bobbitt Essay, Research Paper Achilles’s last standThe Shield of Achilles: War, Peace and the Course of HistoryPhilip BobbittPenguin ?25, pp993The shield of Achilles was hammered and forged into shape, according to The Iliad, by Hephaestus, who inscribed on it the history of its own making, a tormented saga of unremitting strife, havoc and death.
Euthansia Essay Research Paper Euthanasia has been
Euthansia Essay, Research Paper Euthanasia has been a popular topic nowadays, but not many peo0le may know about this subject in depth. In my opinion, Dr. Philip?s idea is good as it can help the elderly people to get more information about different methods of euthanasia. As euthanasia is a new issue that came up recently, most elderly people may not know much about it.
Spanish Armada Essay Research Paper Reasons for
Spanish Armada Essay, Research Paper Reasons for the Armada In 1587, King Philip of Spain saw England as a dangerous nuisance. King Philip had many reasons to want to get rid of Queen Elizabeth:
Jon Phillip Sousa Essay Research Paper Jon
Jon Phillip Sousa Essay, Research Paper Jon Philip Sousa Jon Philip Sousa was born on November 6, 1854. His parents were Jon Antonio Sousa and Maria Elisabeth Trinkhaus. He was the third of ten children. He grew up with music. His father even played trombone in a military band. At only age six Sousa began the study of violin, voice, piano, flute, cornet, trombone and the alto horn.
Bloody Mary Essay Research Paper
Bloody Mary Mary I, Queen of England was a very prominent figure in European history. Her reign as queen was filled with many trials and tribulations that were not accepted by most of England. Many of
Antigony Essay Research Paper Summary of
Antigony Essay, Research Paper Summary of “Antigone” by Philip Harsh In “Antigone” by Philip Harsh, the play Antigone by Sophocles is critisized. Many argue about the originality of the play. Scholars believe that a large portion of the play was made up by Sophocles instead of being reffered to the orginal epic.
The Butcher Boy A Book Report Essay
, Research Paper Julian Mackler Trumbower-Pd.2 9/3/99 Summer Reading Assignment: Summary The Butcher Boy By Patrick McCabe The Butcher Boy is the story of a young boy named Francis Leary growing up in a samll town in Ireland during the Cold War. Francis Leary tells the story as a narrative retrospect of his life.
Alexander The Great Leader Essay Research Paper
Alexander “The Great” (356 – 323 B. C.) King of Acquisitions and Mergers His Childhood Alexander was born in 356 B.C. His father was, Philip, the King of Macedonia and his mother was Olympias, daughter of King Neoptolemus I of Epirus (Albania). Philip was very proud of his son Alexander, but they had a very stormy relationship.
A Biography Of Alexander The Great Essay
, Research Paper Alexander the Great is said to be one of the greatest conquerors of all time, and yet, his significance in battle showed up late in his life. His early years were spent in poverty, and as the years progressed, his dream of being a war hero grew dimmer and dimmer.Ironically, while he was later known as a war hero, he was still feared by all because of his reputation as a drinker and murderer.
Alexander The Great Essay Research Paper The
Alexander The Great Essay, Research Paper The great king s life! July 356b.c., Alexandros III Philippou Makedonon was born in Pella, Macedonia. His father was king Philip II and his mother was Olympias.
Stylistic Analysis Of A Cup Of
Tea? Essay, Research Paper STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF ? A CUP OF TEA? 1. Introduction To be honest, when I read the story, I thought ? how absurd this is?. The first appearance of the story to me was just like this. But when I re- thought about some details I realised that the story is not that absurd. Above, it includes some social factors in it.