
Is Larkin Good for You? - lermontov
https://www.drb.ie/essays/is-larkin-good-for-you-
======
hnarn
"I Remember, I Remember" by Larkin should resonate with anyone who has moved
from a small town they hated, and in adult life relocated again, or for some
other reason came to the conclusion that you can't move away from your
problems.

The whole poem is available here:
[http://www.rswheeldon.com/wierd/nothing.html](http://www.rswheeldon.com/wierd/nothing.html)

My favorite parts:

> "'Was that,' my friend smiled, 'where you "have your roots"?'

> No, only where my childhood was unspent,"

and the finale:

> 'You look as though you wished the place in Hell,'

> My friend said, 'judging from your face.' 'Oh well,

> I suppose it's not the place's fault,' I said.

> 'Nothing, like something, happens anywhere.'

That last line has been almost life-altering for me, because it's such an
obvious, fundamental truth that passes many (myself included) by. You really
have very many options to improve, or ruin, your life, regardless of where you
wish to spend it.

I'd probably make a mistake not to mention for those unaware that Larkin is
also the author of the relatively famous and excellent "they fuck you up, your
mom and dad"-poem ("This Be The Verse"):
[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48419/this-be-the-
ver...](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48419/this-be-the-verse)

~~~
mellosouls
Steady! _mum_ and dad :)

I can't help wondering if the Yorkshire librarian scowling at modernity would
have come out in hives at the Americanism.

Great call though, it's short enough and easy enough for somebody new to
Larkin to hook into. I'd paste it all here but not sure on the legality.

Pithily miserablist; Morrissey for the page...

~~~
hnarn
I guess my excuse is that English isn't my first language, so I blame my
occasional slip-up between BE and AE on the ever present American English in
my life through 99,9 % of all the text and media I consume. I actually hadn't
thought about "mum" being a British variant, but now that you mention it it's
suddenly glaringly obvious.

------
emmelaich
The critic Clive James that is mentioned was enormously funny and productive.
He died very recently.

[https://www.clivejames.com/](https://www.clivejames.com/)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_James](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_James)

~~~
mellosouls
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21686782](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21686782)

~~~
emmelaich
Thanks!

------
mellosouls
[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48422/aubade-56d229a6...](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48422/aubade-56d229a6e2f07)

 _I work all day, and get half-drunk at night._

 _Waking at four to soundless dark, I stare._

 _:_

 _:_

 _Meanwhile telephones crouch, getting ready to ring_

 _:_

I've always loved that description of old style dial phones.

Pretty much every line is quotable though - a wonderful, if melancholy-at-
times plain-speaking poet.

------
jlarcombe
No mention of 'The Whitsun Weddings' in the article. An astonishingly good
poem.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9eTF6QNsxA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9eTF6QNsxA)

------
Angostura
Thank you for this unexpected gem on a Wednesday morning.

