The Poem Reader
The Poem Reader
This Be The Verse
0:00
-0:38

This Be The Verse

By 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.

Discussion about this podcast

The Poem Reader
The Poem Reader
For lovers of language. Every week a new poem read aloud.
Listen on
Substack App
RSS Feed
Appears in episode
Dominic Frisby