The Loss of an Idyllic World in "MCMXIV" Jack Williams 11th Grade

Larkin's idealised image of nostalgia of 1914 is reiterated through the use of the roman numerals, 'MCMXIV' to represent the Roman Empire. The title gives the overriding impression that although Larkin was not born until 1922 – subsequent to the war – he still appears to lament this idyllic time he was not even present in. Despite this historical disjunction, Larkin tries to draw attention to the everyday life that preceded the worst of World War I, and does so in a manner that reveals a peaceful world that is quickly falling into the past.

The opening line of the first stanza elucidates that a myriad of eager men volunteered for the war through the adjective 'long'. The use of personification in this first stanza specifically evokes emotion to be experienced by the reader. I think that this technique is used to engross readers and present Larkin's admiration toward what life was like during World War I. The use of the simile 'as if they were stretched outside the Oval or Villa Park' Is operative in that these volunteers correlate with crowds of fans waiting for a major sporting event and thus, oblivious to the serious nature and impending calamity of the war itself. 'The crowns of hats' represent these men as figures worthy of...