Analysis of This Be the Verse by Phillip Larkin Katie Newman 12DP The title of the poem This Be the

Verse is ironic, the self-importance given in the word the and grandeur of the phrasing mockingly demands that the reader pay attention to the poem as it is the poem that contains great wisdom. Larkin also plays on the word verse, which can be used to refer to poetry in general, as well as specific stanzas but also the Bible. Here there is an ironic echo of phrases such This is the word of the Lord The fact that there are 4 lines in each stanza and that the rhythm in each line is the same shows to the reader that the cycle is the same for every generation and that it never changes. This idea is mirrored in the third stanza in the quotation deepens like a coastal shelf, with this simile Larkin shows how the cycle is difficult to escape from as the deepening of a coastal shelf is a natural process that occurs on every coastline in the world and this image conveys to the reader the impossibility of fighting it. Also the image of waves reinforces the repetitious nature of the cycle as they are constantly happening. Alternatively this rigidity in the 3 stanzas could represent a family unit, a mother, father and child or 3 generations in a family. This idea is created in the subject of each stanza, in the first it is the fact that we are all fucked up by our parents, whereas in the second there is the suggestion that it is not our parents fault but that of our ancestors. Larkins use of alliteration in the quotation Man hands on misery to man draws the readers attention to it and emphasises the point he is making to the reader. And this is that humans create their own misery and are responsible for their own mistakes and that we (humans) are our own worst enemy. The words hands on also imply that the problems that mankind face today were created by our ancestors, perhaps here Larkin is suggesting to the reader that issues such as global warming are as a result of generations of peoples mistakes. Larkin begins the last line of each stanza with the word And and in doing so has again shown to his readers the cyclical nature of our lives as they are all the same. Also it creates the sense of each stanza being a list of things that is never ending and that has been passed on through the generations and will always be there. This idea is supported by Larkins use of anaphora in the first stanza with the use of the word They, this again shows our cyclical way of life. Alternatively it could suggest that we (man) have no real power over our lives and that we have no real independence over ourselves as we are all the same as our ancestors. However in the last line of the poem Larkin suggests that there is a way of escape from the cycle and that is to not have any kids yourself, with this he shows the reader that the only way of ending this cycle is to stop it from repeating and thus breaking its grip on humanity. With this message Larkin suggests to the reader that our lives will only be different if we end the cycle and also that if we dont break the cycle nothing will ever

change. Adding to this by making the above quotation the last line in the poem it gives the reader the impression of hope, that this seemingly unending cycle can be broken and that our lives can be changed.