In "This Be The Verse" by Philip Larkin, readers see a swing of three different emotions and opinions of Larkin, in just three short stanzas : finger pointing, acceptance and suggestion. Immediately engaging readers with a risky first line, the poem “continues to convey emotions such as desperation and bitterness, then ends with an imperative.” This article will examine the tone of the poem, the changes in the topic of each stanza, and examine key images that associate one element of the poem with another. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay From the title of Larkin's poem "This Be The Verse," readers can form a first impression that the tone of something serious will be discussed. Upon further reading of the piece of writing, the reader may recognize that the poem has strong undertones of an important lesson that must be known by all, which sets a tone for Larkin's writing. However, the conventionality of his insight is compromised by the first line of the poem “They fucked you, your mama and your papa” (Larkin 1). This introduction sets a standard that even though Larkin is trying to advise the reader on an important topic, he also wants them to understand that not everything in life has to be completely serious. Readers can clearly see Larkin's position on reproduction and child-rearing: “the poem centers on a very misanthropic perspective with misery passed down from generation to generation” (Stuart 2011). Not only does Larkin refer to this in the first line of the third stanza when he says, "man sends misery to man" (Larkin 9), but he goes on to imply that the problem with procreation is the generation that came before: "They were screwed up themselves." That said, author Bethany Stuart introduces a great point, referring to the penultimate line of the poem: "Get out as soon as you can" (Larkin 11). Stuart states: “Larkin provides a solution that would, in a literal sense, prevent conception in the first place” (Stuart 2011). This constant tone of displeasure seen throughout the poem is a constant reminder of Larkin's view on reproduction: don't do it. In "This Be The Verse", the topic changes from verse to verse. In the first stanza, Larkin writes, “They fucked you mama and papa” (Larkin 1). This opening line gives the reader a stark first impression of what the poem is about. However, between the first and second stanzas, readers see the topic rotate. In the second stanza, Larkin writes, “that half the time they were corny and the other half they slaughtered each other,” (Larkin 7) embodying the reality that family disputes are a standard concept in almost all families. Carriere addresses this change of subject, to which he has to say that "Larkin no longer speaks to you directly about your parents, but now, in a sense, he is addressing parents of different generations and creating a sense of equality between each of them" ( Careers 2012). In the third stanza, “Larkin's poem has transformed from a simple statement of anger into a letter of advice for all the children who read it” (Commis 2012). In this final stanza, Larkin writes, “Go away as soon as you can, and bear no children yourself” (Larkin 11-12). At this point in the poem, Larkin has gone from a state of anger to a state of anger. feasible understanding for the cycle of a parent raising a child, right down to simply giving up. This change is seen in the final stanza and the quote shown above shows that Larkin recognizes the “continuous cycle of corrupt mind after corrupt mind” (Carriere 2012). To this, he offers his quick fix; not have children at all.From Larkin's finger pointing in stanza one to the moderate acceptance in stanza two to his suggestion not to reproduce in stanza three, it is clear that there is a change of topic in each stanza, and"As the reader continues to fall into the words of Larkin, the narrator replaces his aggressive tone with a more understanding one that accepts his parents' flaws" (Carriere 2012). Repetition is seen often in this poem, with the word "they" being used frequently. It is used six times, “five of which only in the first verse, as a leitmotif” (This Be the Verse | Analysis). Every time it is used, it is a comment aimed at parents and their predecessors (This Be the Verse | Analysis). Rhythm is also seen in this poem. There are four lines in each verse and in each line the rhythm is similar. This shows the reader that “the 'cycle' is the same for every generation and that it never changes” (Newman). Katie Newman stated that by having three stanzas, all in the same rhythm, these identical rhythmic stanzas "could represent a family unit, a mother, a father and a child, or 3 generations in a family" (Newman). The poem also has a repetitive rhyme scheme, and just like above, where Newman compared the rhythm of the poem to the "cycle" of generations, readers can also see how the rhyme scheme used in this poem supports the message of Larkin. In this sense, his rhyme scheme becomes “a pattern we cannot escape” (Churchill 2016). All in all, Philip Larkin's “This Be The Verse” is an ideal precedent of a poem because it has such considerable tone, changes in subject matter from each stanza, and key images that associate one element of the poem with another. With a unique take on the family status quo, "Larkin succeeds very well in creating a cynical view on the relationship between parents and children in our society, one that will not be forgotten." The poem "This be the verse" by Phillip Larkin expresses the idea that parents have a negative influence on their children's lives. It shows that parents unwittingly ruin their offspring by implanting all their emotional weight into their children, which in turn leads the child down a path of destruction. It is clear that the curse is generational and inevitable, parents can hurt their children simply by educating them; sons and daughters carry the pain into adulthood and then pass the wounds, in turn, to their offspring. Philip Larkin further establishes the theme of his poem by using literary devices such as irony, internal rhyme, alliteration, and repetition. The title of the poem “This Be the Verse” is ironic, the importance given in the word “the” and the greatness 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 like “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 the reader that the 'cycle' is the same for each generation and that it never changes. This idea is reflected in the third stanza of the quote "it deepens like a coastal shelf", with this simile Larkin shows how difficult it is to escape the "cycle" since the deepening of a coastal shelf is a natural process that occurs on every coast in the world and this image conveys to the reader the impossibility of fighting it. The image of waves also reinforces the repetitive nature of the "cycle" as they occur constantly. Larkin's use of alliteration in the quote "Man sends misery to man" draws the reader's attention to it and.