Help finding an old poem?

[ethos]

I read it years ago. I'm pretty sure it was written by a male poet either in the 1700s or 1800s. If I remember correctly, the poem was rather short (less than 10 lines?). It was a pretty cynical (maybe bordering-misanthropic) poem about how mothers and fathers inevitably pass down their worst traits/problems to their children and subsequently to their children's children, etc. For the life of me I can't remember anything that would be able to actually identify this poem or its poet.

[Delta40]

The only one that springs to mind is William Blake's Infant Sorrow but its message is more subtle than what you are describing.

[ethos]

Yes, the poem I'm thinking about is definitely more... aggressive haha. Thank you for your help though :)

[jimsohan]

Yes, the poem I'm thinking about is definitely more... aggressive haha. Thank you for your help though :)

we would like to hear your poem.:wink5:

[hallaig]

Last word in that is Philip Larkin's 'This be the Verse', though that's more contemporary obviously

[ethos]

Thank you hallaig! That definitely is the poem I was looking for. I never knew if I'd find it again! Though I am quite embarrassed about how off I was about the time period... Anyways, thanks again!

[hallaig]

no bother, what's 200 years between pals?