'Funeral Blues' by W.H. Auden

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Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,Silence the pianos and with muffled drumBring out the coffin, let the mourners come.Let aeroplanes circle moaning overheadScribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.He was my North, my South, my East and West,My working week and my Sunday rest,My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;For nothing now can ever come to any good.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Literary Criticism and Interpretation of "Funeral Blues" by W.H. Auden

Have you ever experienced a loss so profound that you felt as though the world should stop turning? As though everything should come to a halt in solidarity with your grief? If so, then you are not alone. W.H. Auden's "Funeral Blues" is a poem that captures the raw emotion of mourning and the desire for the world to recognize the magnitude of the loss. Through its use of language, structure, and imagery, the poem speaks to the universal experience of grief and the longing for closure.

Language

One of the most striking features of "Funeral Blues" is the language. Auden's use of simple, direct words creates an almost conversational tone that draws the reader in. The poem begins with the line "Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone," which immediately sets the tone of urgency and desperation. The imperative verbs "stop" and "cut off" demand action, emphasizing the speaker's need for the world to pause in recognition of the loss.

The poem then moves on to describe the various ways in which the world should mourn. The speaker asks for "the dogs to stop barking" and for "the pianos to moan" in recognition of the loss. The use of metaphorical language, such as describing the pianos as "moaning," adds to the emotional depth of the poem. The reader can almost feel the weight of the loss through the description of the mournful sounds.

The final stanza of the poem is perhaps the most powerful in terms of language. The repetition of the line "He was my North, my South, my East and West" emphasizes the speaker's deep attachment to the person who has passed. The use of directional language adds to the sense of loss, as though the speaker has lost their way without the person who has died.

Structure

The structure of "Funeral Blues" is also notable. The poem is written in four stanzas, each with four lines. The consistent structure creates a sense of stability that contrasts with the chaotic emotions expressed in the poem. The repetition of the line "Stop all the clocks" at the beginning of each stanza further emphasizes the speaker's desperation for the world to recognize the loss.

The final stanza breaks from this structure, with the repetition of the line "He was my North, my South, my East and West" creating a sense of circularity. The repetition echoes the cyclical nature of life and death, emphasizing the finality of the loss.

Imagery

The imagery used in "Funeral Blues" is both powerful and poignant. The idea of stopping the clocks and cutting off the telephone creates a sense of isolation and separation from the outside world. The use of silence in the poem emphasizes the absence of the person who has passed and the emptiness that remains.

The line "Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood" speaks to the vastness of the loss. The use of hyperbole to describe the magnitude of the loss adds to the emotional weight of the poem.

The final image of the poem, "And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose / My youth is bent by the same wintry fever," is both beautiful and heartbreaking. The speaker's inability to communicate their grief to the world is emphasized through the image of the crooked rose. The rose, a symbol of beauty and life, is now twisted and bent, much like the speaker's own sense of self.

Conclusion

"Funeral Blues" is a poem that speaks to the universal experience of grief. Through its use of language, structure, and imagery, the poem captures the raw emotion of mourning and the desire for closure. The poem's simplicity and directness create a sense of intimacy with the reader, allowing them to connect with the speaker's pain. It is a beautiful and haunting poem that continues to resonate with readers today.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Funeral Blues by W.H. Auden is a classic poem that has touched the hearts of many readers since its publication in 1936. The poem is a powerful elegy that expresses the deep sense of loss and grief that comes with the death of a loved one. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, structure, and literary devices used in this poem to understand its significance and impact.

Themes

The central theme of Funeral Blues is grief and loss. The speaker of the poem is mourning the death of a loved one and is consumed by the pain of their absence. The poem is a powerful expression of the universal human experience of loss and the overwhelming emotions that come with it. The speaker's grief is so intense that they wish for the world to come to a standstill and for everything to stop in honor of their loved one.

Another theme that runs through the poem is the idea of the transience of life. The speaker reflects on the fleeting nature of life and how everything eventually comes to an end. This theme is highlighted in the lines "The stars are not wanted now: put out every one; / Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun." The speaker is expressing the idea that even the celestial bodies that seem eternal and unchanging are subject to the same fate as everything else.

Structure

Funeral Blues is a four-stanza poem with a consistent rhyme scheme of ABAB. The poem is written in iambic pentameter, which gives it a rhythmic and musical quality. The first two stanzas are written in the past tense and describe the speaker's grief and the actions they take in response to their loss. The third stanza is written in the present tense and expresses the speaker's desire for the world to stop in honor of their loved one. The final stanza returns to the past tense and ends with a powerful statement of the speaker's grief.

Literary Devices

Auden uses a variety of literary devices in Funeral Blues to create a powerful and emotional impact on the reader. One of the most striking devices used in the poem is repetition. The phrase "Stop all the clocks" is repeated twice in the first stanza and serves to emphasize the speaker's desire for the world to come to a standstill. The repetition of the phrase "He was my North, my South, my East and West" in the second stanza highlights the depth of the speaker's love for their lost loved one.

Another device used in the poem is imagery. The speaker uses vivid and powerful imagery to convey the intensity of their grief. The line "The stars are not wanted now: put out every one" creates a powerful image of the world coming to a stop in honor of the speaker's loved one. The line "Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood" creates a vivid image of the speaker's desire to erase everything in the world that reminds them of their loss.

The use of metaphor is also prominent in the poem. The line "He was my North, my South, my East and West" is a metaphor that compares the speaker's loved one to the cardinal points on a compass. This metaphor emphasizes the central role that the loved one played in the speaker's life and the sense of direction and purpose that they provided.

Conclusion

Funeral Blues is a powerful and emotional poem that captures the universal experience of grief and loss. The poem's themes of transience and the overwhelming nature of grief are conveyed through the use of repetition, imagery, and metaphor. The poem's structure and rhythmic quality add to its emotional impact and make it a timeless classic that continues to resonate with readers today.

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