MCMXIV

Themes

Sacrifice, loss, remembrance, innocence.

Content

 MCMXIV are the Roman numerals for they year 1914- the start of The Great War, which would later be named World War One. This poignant and melancholy poem concerns the queues of men lining up outside a recruiting depot to enlist in the Army and protect their country.

Analysis

The title itself is perhaps used for a number of reasons- not only does it inform us that the poem details the past but it also makes the reader work to figure out the meaning. Therefore, though the numbers are largely forgotten, Larkin makes the reader put more thought into the issue and reminds us of the war memorials of the time that were inscribed with these numerals.

• The first stanza portrays the "long uneven lines" of men as waiting "patiently" and ironically,"grinning"- a feat perhaps only the British of the time could carry out. These masses of men are happily willing and eager and are expectant about that which is to come. It is as though they are simply queuing for a game at "Villa Park" as they are civilised and in no rush- the age of innocence. Larkin uses words such as "archaic" and "crowns" to describe the men, depicting them almost as ancient nobles and regal- Larkin understands the sacrifice they will make and is showing that he admires them as a type of royalty for their bravery-non-judgemental for once. However, the men themselves only see their actions as a game and do not understand the consequences. They act as though it is "an August Bank Holiday lark", with "lark" being a play on Larkin's name and showing them to be blissfully unaware that they will soon no longer be "grinning"- they see enlisting as a carefree adventure.
• The second stanza moves on to highlight the world that the men are leaving behind. It is a world of peaceful games and everyday items such as "tin advertisements". Clearly, there is a touch of nostalgia as the old methods of payment like "farthings" are remembered, showing the passage of time since the event and many of the items are symbols of nationality, highlighting the patriotism at the time and perhaps that of Larkin himself. The shops themselves are likely shut because it is a public holiday, however, the pubs remain "wide open all day", welcoming men and offering support in the form of liquid courage with no licensing laws. The line "dark-clothed children at play" is perhaps a metaphor for war in that these innocents are wearing clothes typically associated with mourning and showing that innocence is forever lost by violence. Many men and even young boys who had lied about their age ended up dying in war areas and leaving their families behind.
• The third stanza begins with the comment that the "countryside" doesn't care, thus perhaps being a use of anthropomorphism in that nature will not help in a battle of men or showing that those living in the countryside are so far removed that they do not care. Alternately, it could be taken to mean that the countryside has been abandoned by men leaving to fight and the place names forgotten as they are "hazed over" by overgrown "grasses"-unkempt, misleading. "Domesday" refers to the Domesday book which was a survey of all land owned in England. Larkin is perhaps criticising the wealthy who resided in the countryside in "huge houses" with "differently-dressed servants" for not fighting as it is the soldiers that deserve respect. The alliteration in these lines perhaps emphasises the mocking and judgemental tone Larkin adapts to refer to class and to point out that wealth pales in comparison to moral standards. The "restless silence "of the wheat (anthropomorphism) presents the anticipation and charged atmosphere that even nature displays, as though everything is waiting for this massive event to occur.
• The final stanza clearly shows the lasting effect of war on Britain as the phrase "never such innocence" is repeated in order to highlight that war leaves scars and changes everything. There is a sense of finality yet the men at the time are still pure-hearted and unaware of the horrors to come. Caesura appears to show the peace before the true violence erupts, with men "leaving their gardens tidy", expecting to return and "the thousands of marriages, lasting a little while longer". This euphemism shows that the marriages still alive at that time were soon to be destroyed by death. Men expecting adventure were met with disappointment and Larkin critiques war for destroying this sense of innocence. The Great War destroyed social boundaries and changed everything Britain believed.
• The poem itself is solemn and highly critical of war for its horrendous consequences, however, Larkin is not judgemental of the men signing up for what they believe will be a fun game. He respects these men and shows them as pure-hearted and brave, doing what they believe is right, even though others do not.

Links to other poems
'An Arundel Tomb'- not letting events or feelings be forgotten
'Afternoons'-normalcy and the passage of time
'Dockery and Son'-making important life decisions without full knowledge of the consequences
'Ambulances'-the inevitability of death
'For Sidney Bechet'-admiration and respect
'Nothing To Be Said'-how the topic of death is to some an unapproachable subject

Link:http://easylitnotes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/analysis-of-philip-larkins-mcmxiv.html