“MCMXIV (1964)” by Philip Larkin: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “MCMXIV (1964)” by Philip Larkin

“MCMXIV (1964)” by Philip Larkin, first published in his seminal 1964 collection, The Whitsun Weddings, is an evocative poem that examines the stark contrast between the pre-World War I era in England and the subsequent societal disillusionment. It utilizes vivid imagery, a melancholic tone, and Larkin’s characteristic stylistic blend of nostalgia and unflinching realism to explore complex themes of loss, the transience of innocence, and the inexorable nature of change.

Text: “MCMXIV (1964)” by Philip Larkin

Those long uneven lines
Standing as patiently
As if they were stretched outside
The Oval or Villa Park,
The crowns of hats, the sun
On moustached archaic faces
Grinning as if it were all
An August Bank Holiday lark;

And the shut shops, the bleached
Established names on the sunblinds,
The farthings and sovereigns,
And dark-clothed children at play
Called after kings and queens,
The tin advertisements
For cocoa and twist, and the pubs
Wide open all day;

And the countryside not caring:
The place-names all hazed over
With flowering grasses, and fields
Shadowing Domesday lines
Under wheat’s restless silence;
The differently-dressed servants
With tiny rooms in huge houses,
The dust behind limousines;

Never such innocence,
Never before or since,
As changed itself to past
Without a word – the men
Leaving the gardens tidy,
The thousands of marriages,
Lasting a little while longer:
Never such innocence again.

Annotations: “MCMXIV (1964)” by Philip Larkin

Stanza	Key Ideas	Annotations
Stanza 1	* Pre-war normalcy*	* “Those long uneven lines” refers to men waiting in queues (possibly for sporting events). <br> * The atmosphere is relaxed and jovial, like a holiday.
Stanza 2	* Everyday detail *	* Focuses on mundane details of a typical pre-war day: closed shops, old-fashioned currency, children playing. <br> * Creates a sense of quiet, almost antiquated, normalcy.
Stanza 3	* Unaware countryside*	* Contrasts the oblivious beauty of the natural world with the coming disruption of war. <br> * Fields and place names blurred by summer growth symbolize how time will obscure this era. <br> *”Domesday lines” refer to an 11th-century record of land ownership, foreshadowing the upheaval to come.
Stanza 4	* Social divisions*	* Highlights the hidden class inequalities of the time. <br> * Servants’ cramped quarters contrast with the lavish lives of the wealthy. <br> * Juxtaposes the innocence of the era with its social injustices.
Stanza 5	* Unforeseen change*	* Emphasizes the fleeting nature of this innocent era – it ended abruptly and irrevocably. <br> * “changed itself to past / Without a word” conveys the sudden, unexpected transition to war.
Stanza 6	* Aftermath and regret*	* Focuses on the domestic aftermath of men leaving, the fragile nature of relationships during wartime. <br> * “Never such innocence again” underscores the profound and permanent loss caused by the war.

Literary and Poetic Devices: “MCMXIV (1964)” by Philip Larkin

Literary/Poetic Device	Definition	Example from “MCMXIV (1964)”
Alliteration	Repetition of consonant sounds at the start of words.	“bleached…blinds”
Anaphora	The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or clauses.	“Never such innocence, / Never before or since…”
Assonance	Repetition of vowel sounds within words.	“thousands of marriages“
Caesura	A pause within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation.	“The crowns of hats, the sun”
Diction	The author’s choice of words.	Larkin uses specific, dated words (“farthings”, “sovereigns,” “Domesday”) to establish the time period.
Enjambment	When a sentence runs over multiple lines of poetry without punctuation.	“The place-names all hazed over / With flowering grasses…”
Hyperbole	Exaggeration for emphasis.	“Never such innocence…”
Imagery	Vivid language appealing to the senses	“The shut shops, the bleached / Established names on the sunblinds” creates a visual image.
Juxtaposition	Contrasting ideas placed side-by-side	The idyllic countryside is juxtaposed with the impending war.
Metaphor	Implied comparison between unlike things	“The differently-dressed servants / With tiny rooms in huge houses” is a metaphor for social inequality.
Mood	The emotional atmosphere of a poem	The poem’s mood is nostalgic, melancholic, and regretful.
Oxymoron	Two seemingly contradictory terms placed together.	“moustached archaic faces”
Personification	Giving inanimate objects human qualities	“The countryside not caring”
Repetition	Repeating words or phrases for emphasis	“Never such innocence, / Never before or since…”
Rhyme Scheme	The pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines (if present)	While the poem lacks a strict rhyme scheme, there are occasional rhymes like “lark/park”.
Simile	Comparison between unlike things using “like” or “as”	“As if they were stretched outside / The Oval or Villa Park”
Symbolism	An object or image representing something else	The countryside symbolizes the enduring forces of nature, indifferent to human conflict.
Synecdoche	Where a part represents a whole	“The crowns of hats” represents the entire crowd of men.
Tone	The author’s attitude towards their subject	Larkin’s tone is both nostalgic and critical.
Word Choice	The specific words an author chooses to use	Larkin uses period-specific words like “farthings” and “sovereigns” to create a sense of time.

Themes: “MCMXIV (1964)” by Philip Larkin

1. The Irrevocable Loss of Innocence: Larkin paints a wistful picture of pre-war England, with its “August Bank Holiday lark” atmosphere and sense of unburdened joy. This starkly contrasts with the knowledge of World War I’s devastation, emphasizing the irretrievable loss of that naive optimism. Lines like “Never such innocence, / Never before or since” underscore the irreversible transformation wrought by the war.
2. The Transience of Time: The poem highlights how quickly moments pass, turning into memory. The focus on everyday details – “shut shops,” “farthings and sovereigns” – reinforces a sense of a fleeting era. Nature imagery, like the “flowering grasses” blurring place names, suggests time will inevitably obscure this period of history.
3. The Illusion of Stability: The poem initially presents a deceptively peaceful image of pre-war England. However, subtle hints at impending change lurk below the surface. References to “Domesday lines” and men “Leaving the gardens tidy” foreshadow the coming disruption and overturn of the old order.
4. Social Inequality: Larkin subtly critiques the underlying social disparities of the time. The contrast between the “differently-dressed servants / With tiny rooms in huge houses” and the carefree “children at play / Called after kings and queens” highlights the hidden class divisions and injustices that persisted even in this seemingly idyllic era.

Literary Theories and “MCMXIV (1964)” by Philip Larkin

Literary Theory	Explanation	Examples from “MCMXIV (1964)”
Formalism/New Criticism	Focuses on the text itself – analyzing elements like form, structure, imagery, and symbolism for meaning.	* Analyzing the poem’s lack of traditional rhyme scheme and its use of enjambment to explore how they contribute to the poem’s tone and themes of disruption. * Examining the symbolism of the countryside and how it represents an indifferent, enduring force of nature.
Historical/Biographical Criticism	Examines the poem through the lens of the author’s life and the historical period in which the work was written.	* Considering Larkin’s own experiences and how the poem reflects a broader post-war disillusionment in British society. * Investigating how the poem engages with the specific historical moment of pre-World War I England.
Psychoanalytic Criticism	Explores the unconscious motivations and desires underlying the poem, both for the author and the reader.	* Examining the poem’s themes of nostalgia and loss for a repressed desire for a simpler, innocent past. * Analyzing the underlying anxieties about change and upheaval hinted at within the poem.
Marxist Criticism	Focuses on power, class struggle, and social inequalities within the text.	* Analyzing the subtle depictions of class divisions between servants and the wealthy in the poem. * Considering the poem as a critique of the social order that ultimately led to the devastating war.
Reader-Response Criticism	Focuses on the reader’s experience and interpretation of the text.	* Examining how different readers might respond to the poem based on their own experiences of war, loss, and change. * Exploring the emotional impact of the poem – the sense of nostalgia and regret it evokes.

Topics, Questions, and Thesis Statements: “MCMXIV (1964)” by Philip Larkin

Topics

• The Representation of Time and History
• Nostalgia and Loss of Innocence
• Social Critique and Class in pre-War England
• Poetic Techniques and their Effect on Meaning

Questions

• How does Larkin use imagery and symbolism to portray the fleeting nature of time and eras?
• In what ways does the poem express both nostalgia for and criticism of the pre-war period?
• How does the poem’s structure (stanza breaks, enjambment, etc.) contribute to its overall themes?
• Does “MCMXIV (1964)” present a pessimistic or hopeful view of historical change?

Thesis Statements

• Philip Larkin’s “MCMXIV (1964)” utilizes vivid imagery and a fragmented structure to convey the irrevocable loss of innocence and social stability brought upon by World War I.
• In “MCMXIV (1964)”, Larkin employs subtle contrasts between idyllic imagery and historical foreshadowing to critique the romanticized view of pre-war England and its underlying social inequalities.
• Through its melancholic tone and focus on everyday minutiae, Philip Larkin’s “MCMXIV (1964)” underscores the transience of both individual lives and historical eras.
• Larkin’s use of specific poetic devices, such as enjambment and caesura, in “MCMXIV (1964)” mirrors the disruption of the pre-war era and emphasizes the inevitability of change.

Short Questions/Answers about “MCMXIV (1964)” by Philip Larkin

• Q1: How does Larkin establish the specific historical setting of the poem?
• A1: Larkin uses subtle but evocative details to root the poem in pre-World War I England. References to “farthings and sovereigns” (old currency), “moustached archaic faces”, and the casual “August Bank Holiday lark” atmosphere all signal a specific time period, later contrasted with the looming conflict.
• Q2: What role does nature play in the poem?
• A2: Nature acts as a counterpoint to human affairs. The “flowering grasses” hazily obscuring place names symbolize time’s passage and the indifference of the natural world to history’s upheavals. This contrast highlights the fragility of the era the poem depicts.
• Q3: How does the poem’s structure contribute to its meaning?
• A3: The poem is a single, long sentence with irregular line breaks and enjambment. This mirrors the sense of disruption, how the flow of normal life was fundamentally altered by the war. It also suggests a breathless rush towards a tragic and irreversible change.
• Q4: What is the significance of the poem’s ending?
• A4: The lines “Never such innocence, / Never before or since” emphasize the profound and permanent loss caused by the war. This reinforces the nostalgic tone while offering a bleak view of history – that such unburdened innocence is irretrievable.

Literary Works Similar to “MCMXIV (1964)” by Philip Larkin

1. “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae: This poignant poem, written during World War I, reflects on the loss of life and the enduring impact of war, sharing themes of remembrance and the passage of time with Larkin’s “MCMXIV.”
2. “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen: Owen’s vivid depiction of the horrors of war and the sense of loss experienced by a generation resonates with Larkin’s exploration of the societal impact of World War I.
3. “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot: Eliot’s modernist masterpiece delves into themes of disillusionment, cultural decay, and the search for meaning in the aftermath of World War I, echoing Larkin’s reflection on societal changes and loss of innocence.
4. Regeneration by Pat Barker: Set during World War I, this novel explores the psychological effects of war on soldiers suffering from shell shock, offering insights into the struggle to find meaning in a shattered world.
5. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks: This novel, set before and during World War I, weaves together themes of love, loss, and the enduring legacy of war, echoing the sentiments found in Larkin’s poem “MCMXIV.”

Suggested Readings for Further Analysis of “MCMXIV (1964)” by Philip Larkin

Scholarly Books

• Bloom, Harold, ed. Philip Larkin. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 2004. (This collection of critical essays provides diverse perspectives on Larkin’s work, offering valuable insights for deeper analysis.)
• Motion, Andrew. Philip Larkin: A Writer’s Life. New York: Faber & Faber, 1993. (Motion’s detailed biography illuminates the connection between Larkin’s life experiences and the themes present within his poetry.)
• Regan, Stephen, ed. Philip Larkin. London: Macmillan, 1997. (A casebook offering varied critical approaches to Larkin’s poetry, including “MCMXIV (1964)”, facilitating multi-faceted analysis.)

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

• Phillips, Adam. “What Larkin Knew.” The Threepenny Review, no. 112, 2008, pp. 6–7. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25650892. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
• ROWLAND, ANTONY. “‘All Is Not Dead’: Philip Larkin, Humanism and Class.” Critical Survey, vol. 10, no. 2, 1998, pp. 1–14. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41556757. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
• Groves, Peter. “‘What Music Lies in the Cold Print’: Larkin’s Experimental Metric.” Style, vol. 35, no. 4, 2001, pp. 703–23. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/style.35.4.703. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.

Reputable Websites

• The Larkin Society: [invalid URL removed] (Offers a wealth of resources, articles, and links to scholarly publications dedicated to understanding Philip Larkin’s life and work.)
• Poetry Foundation – Philip Larkin: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/philip-larkin (Provides biographical context and access to Larkin’s poems, including “MCMXIV (1964)”.)