Comparing 'Nettles' with 'Born Yesterday'

Compare the ways the poets present hopes and wishes in ‘Born Yesterday’ and in one other poem from Relationships.


Develop a discussion in this post with each other.

Learning in the Pit

'Steps to Approaching Poetry' from AQA

See the link below for an electronic copy of the handout from today's lesson:

http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-ENG-ALL-W-TRBPOETRY.PDF

'Born Yesterday' by Philip Larkin

For Sally Amis

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.


Please explore your thoughts on the poem in a discussion with each other here.