Poem Analysis

W. H. Auden
[Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone a.k.a FUNERAL BLUES]

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,

Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling 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 wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

The Analysis and The Point of

Review
A poetry analysis of Funeral Blues by W H Auden is usually all about the themes of time,
loss, emotion and control. The poets intentions are made clear in the opening lines:
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come
This poem defines the real message of life itself and the cycle of it. In simple terms it actually
portrays losing a loved one is one of the worst feelings you could ever experience. The poem
"Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone", is something that anyone who is feeling depressed
because their lover is gone, should read. It can remind you that you are not alone and the
feelings you are experiencing are not only your own. The poem begins with fun diction and
heavy imagery but in the last line it becomes serious and says, "Bring out the coffin, let the
mourners come. Readers are not yet attached but feel a sense of sympathy and compassion
towards the speaker, due to the captivating first three lines. Next, she tells us, "He Is Dead".
That was assumed by the end of the first stanza but now that it has been said aloud, it is clear
that that is the climax of this poem. The third stanza insinuates that he was her "everything".
Of course your lover would be your everything! I feel so horrible for this woman and anyone
who has to go through such a mortifying loss. The very last stanza tells us that everything
beautiful in this world has become meaningless without her lover. Even if you are suffering
from a break-up with a lover, the consequences and emotions can feel similarly the same. I
would encourage anyone who is experiencing this kind of pain to read this poem as a
reminder that they are not alone, although it might feel that way.

Poetic Devices
Alliteration
The frequent use of words beginning with m between lines three and six to emphasise
moaning and mourning. Note the l in love and last in line twelve. The frequent words
beginning of in the
Imagery
Metaphors
Oxymorons
Mood
Personification
Hyperbole
Rhyme Scheme
Repetition
Theme
Love. Its all about love and also Grief.
Simile
Onomatopoeia
Meter
Rhythm