"MCMXIV" (1914) is a poem written by
English poet
Philip Larkin
Philip Arthur Larkin (9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. His first book of poetry, '' The North Ship'', was published in 1945, followed by two novels, '' Jill'' (1946) and '' A Girl in Winter'' (194 ...
. It was first published in the book ''
The Whitsun Weddings'' in 1964. The poem, a single sentence spread over four stanzas, begins by describing what is seemingly a photograph of volunteers lining up to enlist, and goes on to reflect on the momentous changes in England that would result from the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, ending, 'Never such innocence again'.
References in popular culture
* The first and last lines of the poem are quoted in the film ''
The History Boys
''The History Boys'' is a play by British playwright Alan Bennett. The play premiered at the Royal National Theatre in London's West End on 18 May 2004. Its Broadway debut was on 23 April 2006 at the Broadhurst Theatre where 185 performances w ...
''.
* ''MCMXIV'' is the first single on the
Portland, Oregon
Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
band Archeology's E.P. ''Change of Address''
* ''MCMXIV'' is a single from
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
band Ratboys' album "AOID"
See also
*
List of poems by Philip Larkin
References
* Philip Larkin, ''Collected Poems'', Faber and Faber, 2003, Appendix III.
External links
The Philip Larkin Society
{{Philip Larkin
Poetry by Philip Larkin
1964 poems