MCMXIV

This poem is about the year 1914, the beginning of the 1st world, in particular the men signing up to go to war. It shows the optimism at the beginning as all of the men signed up, but goes on to reveal the much sadder truths about war.

Stanza 1:

• 'long uneven lines' demonstrates the amount of men that signed up, and 'uneven' could connote they are men from all walks of life, or link to them being men of different social class. It could also reflect the different views of war each men has, from those who lied about their age to go, to those who didnt want to go. 
• 'standing as patiently' demonstrates a politer nicer time. 
• 'the oval or villa park' being cricket and football grounds links to the way men always seem to be on a team, competing. It also could suggest that is what men should be doing, and links to the british cliche. 
• Repetition of 'as if' suggests they are naive and misinformed about what they are signing up for. 
• 'crowns of hats' suggests that going to war gives them status and a certain glory in doing something for their country.
• 'mustached archaic faces' shows they are men, and suggests they are to old to be going to war.

Stanza 2:

• 'shut shops' suggests there is some significance in these shops being closed. 
• 'bleached established names' demonstrates things being tainted suggesting war is destructive and can ruin a family, tainting their name. 
• 'dark-clothed children' gives a sombre effect. 
• 'called after kings and queens' reinforces the idea of patriotism.
• 'tin advertisements' suggests cheap life, and links to rations and the simplicity of the time. 
• 'the pubs wide open all day' shows nostalgia for what the persona sees as a better time.

Stanza 3:

• 'countryside not caring' shows how it wasnt effected by war as much, and links to the upper class being less effected because of their money.
• 'the place names all hazed over' links to the way the working class seem insignificant to the rich, and the way the rich would have been giving positions of authority at war over the poor. 
• 'flowering grasses and fields shadowing doomsday lines' demonstrates war not being presented truthfully. It also shows the was war juxtaposes the natural world, suggesting war is not natural and suggesting it is wrong to enjoy yourself as the rich did while something like this is going on. It could also suggest that there are injustices like war going on in rich peoples houses, with the classes. 
• 'under wheats restless silence' suggests there is something beneath the surface, the unspoken inequality of the rich and the poor. 
• 'differently dressed servents' shows this inequality.
• 'the dust behind limosousines' shows how the rich are leaving the poor behind in their mess. Larkin is sticking up for working class. 

Stanza 4:

• 'never such innocence never before or since' shows how naive and goo the people were and suggests that war killed this. repetition of 'never' also reinforces that it was the first war, and new to them. 
• 'without a word' suggests it was a shock'
• 'leaving the gardens tidy' suggests they have to keep up appearances and shows the extent of domestic everyday life. 
• 'lasting a little while longer' shows how the end is inevitable.
• 'never such innocence again' reiterates was being the end of innocence.
• the last stanza is a less optimistic view of war compared to the first, reiterating how people were optimistic about war at first but then realized what it was like.