Characters and speaker

The poem “This Be the Verse” by Phillip Larkin includes several characters, a speaker and an implied receiver of the lyrical appeal.

The speaker is unnamed, and we can assume him to be a lyrical alter-ego of the poet himself, Phillip Larkin. His presence is implied through the direct appeal. Addressing the receiver by “you” (l. 3) implies that there is an “I” making the appeal. The receivers are present generations, those who are being influenced by their parents.

From the content of his appeal, we can infer the narrator is critical and ironical of the way parents act and affect the development of their children. He uses strong slang such as “fuck you up” (l. 3) mixed with softer expressions like “mum and dad” (l. 3) to convey irony. He is disappointed by the dynamic between the past and ...