Lewis, Helen. 2026. “The Men Who Want Women to Be Quiet.” The Atlantic 336(6): 26–35. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/06/conservative-masculinism-misogyny/686939/ (May 27, 2026; May 28, 2026).

This Be The Verse<br /> by Philip Larkin

They fuck you up, your mum and dad. <br /> They may not mean to, but they do. <br /> They fill you with the faults they had<br /> And add some extra, just for you.

But they were fucked up in their turn<br /> By fools in old-style hats and coats, <br /> Who half the time were soppy-stern<br /> And half at one another’s throats.

Man hands on misery to man.<br /> It deepens like a coastal shelf.<br /> Get out as early as you can,<br /> And don’t have any kids yourself.

Philip Larkin, "This Be the Verse" from Collected Poems. Copyright © Estate of Philip Larkin. Reprinted by permission of Faber and Faber, Ltd. Source: Collected Poems (Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2001)

Reference: Larkin, Philip. Collected Poems. New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1989.

Compare with The Kids Are Alright.

Recited in Ted Lasso, S3 https://www.looper.com/1294687/ted-lasso-season-3-episode-11-maes-poem-sounds-familiar/#:~:text=To%20jog%20your%20memory%2C%20the,extra%2C%20just%20for%20you.%22

See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Be_The_Verse