 Auden titled the poem "Funeral Blues" to convey the mournful and solemn atmosphere of the

piece. The term "blues" evokes a sense of melancholy often associated with music, while
"funeral" suggests death and mourning. Together, the title prepares the reader for a somber
exploration of loss and grief.
 The tone of the poem is overwhelmingly sorrowful and desolate. It expresses profound grief and
a sense of emotional devastation following the death of a loved one. The speaker's anguish is
palpable throughout the poem, creating a poignant atmosphere of mourning.
3.1) Three elements that appear to work against the serious elegiac nature of the poem are:
a) Hyperbolic Requests: The speaker's demands to "Stop all the clocks" and "Cut off the
telephone" seem exaggerated and impractical. These extreme requests disrupt the conventional
elegiac tone and verge on the absurd.
b) Surreal Imagery: The poem contains surreal imagery, such as silencing dogs with a bone and
preventing airplanes from flying. These surreal elements inject a sense of fantasy or whimsy into
the poem, which contrasts with the gravity of the mourning process.
c) Personalized Grief: The poem focuses intensely on the speaker's personal grief, with specific
references to the deceased ("He is Dead") and intimate details of their relationship. This
personalized approach may seem overly sentimental and detract from the universality of the
theme of loss.
3.2) These elements do not lessen the sadness of the poem; instead, they intensify it by
highlighting the speaker's overwhelming emotional state. The hyperbolic requests, surreal
imagery, and personalized grief serve to emphasize the depth of the speaker's despair and the
profound impact of the loss. By exaggerating and distorting reality, the poem magnifies the
intensity of the mourning experience, amplifying the reader's emotional response.
 In stanza 1, the poet creates an ambiance of sound through rhythmic repetition and alliteration.
The repetition of the "S" sound in "Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone" creates a sense of
urgency and commands attention. Additionally, the repeated use of imperatives ("Stop," "Cut
off") contributes to the commanding and rhythmic quality of the stanza, enhancing the auditory
experience for the reader.
 The effect of capital letters in "He is Dead" emphasizes the finality and significance of the
statement. The use of capitalization draws attention to the words, signaling the gravity of the
speaker's loss and the profound impact of death. It underscores the definitive nature of the
declaration and intensifies the emotional weight of the moment.
6.1) The visual aspects mentioned in the public display of grief in the second stanza include
"black cotton gloves," "crepe bows," and "traffic policemen." These details evoke images of
mourning attire, funeral decorations, and the somber atmosphere of a public procession.
6.2) The second stanza presents a color contrast between the black mourning attire ("black cotton
gloves," "crepe bows") and the colorful elements of everyday life ("traffic policemen in black
cotton gloves"). This contrast highlights the juxtaposition between private grief and the ordinary
world, emphasizing the isolating nature of personal loss amidst the bustling activity of the
outside world.
 "Public doves" likely refers to pigeons or doves released during a public event, such as a funeral
or memorial service. These birds are often symbolic of peace, hope, or the release of the soul, and
their presence at a public gathering may signify a collective expression of mourning or
remembrance.
 The progression from "my walk" to "my song" reflects the speaker's journey through grief and
mourning. Initially, the speaker's grief is solitary and internalized, represented by the solitary act
of walking. However, by the end of the poem, the speaker seeks a communal expression of
mourning through song, suggesting a movement towards acceptance and collective remembrance.
 The correct answer is d) desolation. The words "I was wrong" in line 12 are spoken in a tone of
desolation, expressing the speaker's realization of the futility of their previous actions or beliefs
in the face of overwhelming grief.