"Born Yesterday" by Philip Larkin (poetry reading)

Sally Myfanwy Amis (1954 -- 2000) was, putatively, the youngest child of Larkin's lifelong friend and fellow writer Kingsley Amis - but it's more complicated than that. If you're curious, then you can read more about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Amis

The last picture is of her parents. Sally was born into a family whose affairs would be deemed implausible for any soap opera. You couldn't make it up. Here is an article about them in The Daily Mail:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-414493/Kingsley-Amis-The-young-d...

A good article about Philip Larkin and his relationships withwomen here in The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jun/27/philip-larkin-love-hate-women

The first painting is The Newborn, 1989, by Stephen Gjertson in Montclair Art Museum.
http://rompedas.blogspot.com/2010/03/classical-realism.html

Tightly-folded bud,
I have wished you something
None of the others would:
Not the usual stuff
About being beautiful,
Or running off a spring
Of innocence and love -
They will all wish you that,
And should it prove possible,
Well, you're a lucky girl.

But if it shouldn't, then
May you be ordinary;
Have, like other women,
An average of talents:
Not ugly, not good-looking,
Nothing uncustomary
To pull you off your balance,
That, unworkable itself,
Stops all the rest from working.
In fact, may you be dull -
If that is what a skilled,
Vigilant, flexible,
Unemphasised, enthralled
Catching of happiness is called.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Born
• Yesterday
• Philip
• Larkin
• Kingsley
• Amis

[marianneotv]

this is interesting, must have to think twice about it....

[hackum1]

I believe you say "put you off your balance" instead of "pull ..."

[ChristinaDarkRose]

Reminds me of the scene with the 3 fairies giving gifts to Sleeping Beauty when she was a baby.It also reminds of the poem the famous Greek poet Γιάννης Ρίτσος (Giannis Ritsos) wrote about his daughter when she was born (the poem was "Morningstar","Πρωινό άστρο"),but that poem was more about his love and his will to protect her and help her grow up and not so much about what qualities he wanted her to have.

[InkyPages]

I hope you take it as a compliment when I say that you have found exactly the right tone for Larkin. Thank you, as always.

[Krifko]

As always a beautiful reading. Thank you, it is much appreciated.

[SALVATl0N]

balance

[scifiwritir1]

so sad, so true.

[jonno52]

Delighted to hear you read this - have been waiting! Larkin wasn't always "miserable".

[paulpellicci]

Amen...