Essay on Born Yesterday by Philip Larkin

598 Words3 Pages
Born Yesterday was written "For Sally Amis", the new-born daughter of Kingsley Amis, a friend of Larkin's and a famous novelist. In the poem the speaker offers the child a welcome into the world and outlines what he hopes will become her attributes. The poem briefly presents traditional good wishes and hopes offered on such occasions - "the usual stuff" - but follows with the suggestion of a less conventional path to "happiness" won by "An average of talents" rather than great beauty. The title is a pun, or play on words: literally the poem was written shortly after Sally's birth, but "Born yesterday" is also a phrase used to describe someone who is clueless about the world. Structure Born Yesterday has two sections, a ten-line stanza and a 14-line stanza. The lines are short and direct. The first stanza concentrates on the presentation and eventual deflation of traditional wishes for a newborn child. The second stanza presents the speaker's unconventional hopes for the child. The greater length of the second stanza is an indication of the belief that this attitude is more worthwhile. Language The poem opens with a natural image associated with a newborn baby, that of the "Tightly-folded bud". This metaphor reflects the baby's curled posture, as well as drawing on the natural comparison of a leaf or flower in bud ready to open to full beauty and potential. The third and fourth lines start with negative words "None" and "Not", shifting the emphasis from "the usual stuff/About being beautiful" and leading a life "running off a spring/Of innocence and love". The use of negatives undermines the presentation of traditional wishes as well as preparing the reader for the second stanza in which less conventional wishes are offered. The speaker sets himself apart from "the others", brushing aside their sentiments ("They will all wish you that"). The tone at the end of
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