In the second stanza, Larkin starts it off with a similar type of coarse language “but they were f*** up in their turn.” In line 2, “in old-style hats and coats” refers to generations ago from the word “old.” Furthermore, it emphasizes the “filling” mentioned in the first stanza. In line 3, diction was used to reiterate the “may” in line 2. “Soppy” and “Stern” are very related as shown through the dash between the words. In the British language, “soppy” means lacking spirit and common sense. Referring back to the first stanza line 2, the uncertainty but go-ahead “may not mean to, but they do” “soppy” is used in the second stanza to emphasize the uncertainty that the parents face. “Stern,” also in line 3, means serious, unrelenting and strict. This word portrays an image where, referring to the first stanza line 3 where the child can be seen as an empty “vessel,” where the child has no freedom and choice because it is an “inanimate object.” In line 4, “Half at one another’s throat” is a connotation for savagery and also an imagery that depicts what life will be like for the child after the faults have been filled. It can also be seen as a comment about the deterioration of love between the parents and the children after the children have become more corrupted and angry at their parents.
In the third stanza, there is a contrast in tone and written language. Larkin uses a harsh tone in the first two stanzas while he uses a softer tone in the final stanza. Furthermore, the written language is more poetic in the final stanza, emphasizing the multitude of imagery used. In addition to, the strong rhyme at the end of alternating lines makes the poem sound more determined, forceful and firm; for example, “man” and can”, “shelf” and “yourself”. ” In line 1 of the last stanza, “Man hands on misery to man,” is a metaphor that refers back to the first stanza where “misery” and “faults” are inherited and passed on. In line 2 “It deepens like a coastal shelf” is a simile. This simile depicts a horrifying scene as though when misery is passed down from generation to generation, it leaves nothing but darkness/hatred, similar to the environment of a coastal shelf. In line 3 and 4 “Get out as early as you can” and “don't have any kids yourself." Larkin is implying for us to merely accept and believe that our parents are “f****** you up (first stanza line 1)” who also “fill us with the faults they had” (first stanza line 3) and added “some extra (first stanza line 4).”In line 4, it further emphasizes that it is best if we “don’t have any kids yourself.” Doing this however is ironic because it would be a quality characterized as selflessness, a quality not often associated with Larkin.
Philip Larkin wrote this poem during the 1971, after a sexual revolution, his poems are written in a coarse language sexually. Furthermore, he was not married and didn’t experience all the aspects of life fully. Through his life experiences and his literary genius, Philip Larkin has successfully used literary terms and specific poetic structure to create an atmosphere, which describes the dreadful process of growing up.
