An Idiot's Analysis on Annus Mirabilis

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the use of words like “every”, “same”, and “unlosable” further reiterate the idea of the victory of freedom over social oppression. Larkin’s use of the phrase “breaking of the bank” signifies the removal of social constructs like money and marriage from the idea of sex and establishes the idea of “free love” that is prevalent throughout the poem. If viewed as a geographic metaphor, Larkin’s use of this phrase could suggest how the “end of the [ban on sex]” broke new ground and moved humanity to progress down a new path. It lends the stanza a sense of rebellion and glory, to contrast the regret that is prevalent in the other stanzas of the poem.

Larkin’s choice to end the poem in almost the same way that he started it best symbolize this regret. His parenthetical use of the words “which was rather late for me” and “though just too late for me” to elucidate the unfortunate timing of the liberalization of sex clearly express the regret and anger with which he wrote the poem. This sense of regret is also visible when Larkin suggests “so life was never better than in nineteen sixty three”, which allows for the reader to infer that the progressive attitude with which sexual intercourse was viewed was short lived and it eventually declined again. Although the poet seems to congratulate society for this social victory, the regret of his being too old at the time stands in stark distinction of the victory that this poem represents. Finally, the simple, casual language with which Larkin words the poem gives it a relaxed, conversation-like rhythm and the use of edgy, sarcastic mocking instead of stronger, outright contempt to describe humanity’s regressive thinking towards such a profound and complex social issue establish yet another paradox.

Hence, Larkin depicts the irony of the way humanity confines a visceral, natural activity within the shackles of social constructs through the witty use of derision and humor and establishes contrasts between themes like victory and regret, simple and complex language, and natural and artificial in Annus Mirabilis to explain why only nineteen sixty three was a progressive year.