Long Sight in Age

Philip Larkin 1922 (Coventry) – 1985 (Hull)



They say eyes clear with age,
As dew clarifies air
To sharpen evenings,
As if time put an edge
Round the last shape of things
To show them there;
The many-levelled trees,
The long soft tides of grass
Wrinkling away the gold
Wind-ridden waves— all these,
They say, come back to focus
As we grow old.
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Submitted by RobertHaigh on June 11, 2020

Modified on April 22, 2023

16 sec read
46

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCDCBEFGEHG
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 289
Words 56
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 12

Philip Larkin

Philip Larkin was born in 1922 and grew up in Coventry, England. He earned his BA from St John's College, Oxford, and finished with First Class Honours in English. In 1955 he became Librarian of the Brynmor Jones Library at the University of Hull, a post he held until his death in 1985. He was the best-loved poet of his generation, and the recipient of innumerable honours, including the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. more…

All Philip Larkin poems | Philip Larkin Books

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