Sexual intercourse began
In nineteen sixty-three
(which was rather late for me) –
Between the end of the Chatterley ban
And the Beatles’ first LP.
Up to then there’d only been
A sort of bargaining,
A wrangle for the ring,
A shame that started at sixteen
And spread to everything.
Then all at once the quarrel sank:
Everyone felt the same,
And every life became
A brilliant breaking of the bank,
A quite unlosable game.
So life was never better than
In nineteen sixty-three
(Though just too late for me) –
Between the end of the Chatterley ban
And the Beatles’ first LP.
(Philip Larkin)
More Poetry from Philip Larkin:
Philip Larkin Poems based on Topics: Life, Disagreement & Quarelling- Vers De Soci (Philip Larkin Poems)
- Tr (Philip Larkin Poems)
- Night Music (Philip Larkin Poems)
- When First We Faced (Philip Larkin Poems)
- As Bad as a Mile (Philip Larkin Poems)
- Library Ode (Philip Larkin Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Life Poems, Disagreement & Quarelling PoemsBased on Keywords: ban, sexual, nineteen, intercourse, wrangle, sixty-three, bargaining, beatles