2H Poetry Relationships

Born Yesterday AO1 and AO2 The poem begins with a metaphor: “tightly-folded bud.” This beautifully evokes the image of a small flower, with its petals hidden from view by green leaves. Just as the true nature and beauty of the flower is hidden from view; the true nature of the child will not be revealed until it grows and flourishes. A new-born baby is just as mysterious and secret as the flower before it blooms. By using the bud as a metaphor, Larkin infers the idea that this girl will be beautiful just as each flower is unique, so each child is too. The personal pronoun ‘I’ used in the second line clearly identifies Larkin as the speaker of his autobiographical poem. He also addresses the poem directly to the baby girl. This is exemplified by the conversational tone of the line “Well, you’re a lucky girl.” Larkin’s intention to wish something different for the child is stated in the lines. “I have wished you something none of the others would.” As a poet, he has taken it upon himself to offer the child more than just good wishes for beauty. He recognises what will truly be important for the child in the future and it has nothing to do with physical appearance.

Born Yesterday AO1 and AO2 The metaphor “running off a spring of innocence and love. reminds the reader of the baptismal service where the child is named and blessed with water. This signifies the innocence and purity of the child. The term ‘Spring’ is the source of pure, unpolluted water. Larkin is cynical about the usual wishes for a new-born. He says after the reference to innocence and love “they will all wish you that.” He seems to be inferring that the usual wishes are more platitudes, with no real thought behind them. He does acknowledge that all the usual wishes for the child may actually come true. She may well grow up to be virtuous and beautiful and if she does then she is really fortunate. However he is clear that this is not the case for everyone. The use of the adjective ‘lucky’ suggests that beauty is simply a chance happening.

Born Yesterday AO1 and AO2 The second stanza is focussed on Larkin’s own wishes for the girl. At first they seem to verge on being unkind. “May you be ordinary.” He is in fact reinforcing his own view that physical appearance is not important. The noun ordinary means average, like everyone else. He sees this as perfectly acceptable and in fact is what most people are, he doesn’t imagine that this child will be in any different from others – he is in fact right – the vast majority of people would classify themselves as ‘Ordinary.” Larkin also sees no reason why this child should be more talented than others. “Have, like other women, an average of talents.” Again, Larkin offers the reader a realistic assessment of what is likely to be the case. Larkin reassures the reader that he isn’t wishing negative things for the child but suggesting that, on the surface at least she have no more, or less advantages than other children. “Nothing uncustomary to pull you off your balance” also suggests that beauty may detract from the real purpose of the child. He continues with this idea in the following lines - “That, unworkable itself, stops all the rest from working.” The repetition of the verb ‘work’ in both lines brings a striking idea. That beauty cannot work or bring benefit on its own and that in fact, it hinders other assets that a person might have.

Born Yesterday AO1 and AO2 Larkin is hinting at the idea of a person never knowing their true talents if they are beautiful: they can never be sure whether they are successful because of their talent alone or if their physical appearance also has contributed. Larkin views being ‘dull’ as a virtue to treasure. In the same way he views being ‘ordinary’ as something desirable. In the final lines he uses five adjectives in quick succession. The purpose and effect of this is to build up, refine and reinforce meaning. “Skilled, vigilant, flexible, emphasised, enthralled.” These are the attributes he wishes the child to possess. They are used to show how complex the ‘catching of happiness’ is. The suggestion that happiness is a state that is ‘caught’ rather than something a person is born with is interesting. It suggests that it is not a state of mind that everyone achieves. Through the adjective ‘unemphasised’ he again reinforces the idea that an ‘over-showy’ state of happiness is not what he desire for the child; rather a sense of real happiness that is attained through means other than physical beauty. True happiness is long-lasting, unlike good looks and can be achieved in many ways. It is unique as the child itself.

Born Yesterday AO1 and AO2 Larkin expresses many emotions in this poem. He shows much love and tenderness towards his friend’s daughter. He is critical of people who don’t put much thought into their wishes for a new baby, and finds the wishes of most to be superficial and largely unattainable. He also shows himself to be a great realistic about the nature of life and what is really important. The poem was read aloud during the funeral service for Sally Amis. She died after a stroke at the age of forty, after a lifetime of promiscuity, alcoholism and depression. Larkin’s wishes are made all the more poignant for the reader because of the nature of her life and premature death. In assessing the poem and its place in the ‘relationships’ cluster of the anthology, it is clear that it offers a slightly unusual interpretation of love of an adult for a child through the wishes he has for her. The actuality of Sally Amis’s life and death prove that good wishes are futile.