Even though I quite liked a few of the poems in this collection, I found the overall tone to be rather soul-less. Larkin focuses on describing small, everyday scenarios, but the reader can tell that he is describing these scenes from a distance. The only poems that I felt his voice was connected to were "the Old Fools," "This be the verse," and "Annus Mirabilis." All three poems were truthful and a touch sarcastic, and they seems to touch on common themes in the human experience that anyone should be able to connect with. ( )

"Only the young can be alone freely.
The time is shorter now for company,
And sitting by a lamp more often brings
Not peace, but other things.
Beyond the light stand failure and remorse
Whispering Dear Warlock-Williams:
Why, of course–"
- Vers de Société
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P/s: We all should read This Be The Verse.
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A nice read, relatively easy, but also a bit disappointing in the end. There are quite a few poems in here, Going going e.g. that do not really deserve it. So quality level is very variable. At his best Larkin succeeds in writing memorable verses though. ( )

This is the first book of poetry (excepting Beowulf) I've sat down to read as an adult, and what a place to start. This slim collection was Larkin's last, and contains both of those iconic poems we all know the first lines to ... ("They f*** you up, your mum and dad" from 'This be the Verse', and "Sexual intercourse began in 1963" from 'Annus Mirabilis').
I found an overall preoccupation with death in all its forms as seen by a grumpy old man loomed large; never more so than in 'The Old Fools' where he's looking to his dotage, equally mourning the loss of childhood in 'Sad steps', or in 'Going, Going' where he sees urban decay taking over England.
I don't feel qualified to comment on the structure, but enjoyed reading these wonderful poems immensely. ( )

Pp 19/20 The Old Fools ( )