Poem 1
Funeral Blues by W.H. Auden
commanding tones
no further communication is desired → does not want to interact with anyone → wants solitude + silence
when someone dies all clocks in house are stopped
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, → signalled the end of time for the deceased
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone. → speaker does not feel playful and the juicy bone will silence the dog
→ wants the world to acknowledge the death with respect and silence
not even piano music is appreciated → Silence the pianos and with muffled drum, → only wants to hear the sombre beat of the drum as funeral begins
Bring out the coffin. Let the mourners come. → speaker wants to focus of deceased for a proper mourning
µ onomatopoeia: sound of engines → makes it appear as the aeroplane is in mourning
Let the aeroplanes circle moaning overhead The c apital "H" emphasises the i mportance of the deceased person. He was very important.
Therefore, the poet wants the world to know about this death. He does not mention the name of the
Scribbling in the sky the message: "He is Dead!" person, simply says "He". He assumes that people will know who passed away.
scribble-quick → wants the aeroplanes to
→ capitalised: emphasizing the finality of death
announce the death to the world as quickly as
possible
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves
→ wants a public show of grief
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
→ traffic police wear white gloves
↳
He was my North, my South, my East and West, → gave the speaker direction + filled his day with joy = was
sign of mourning
↳ indicates the deceased meant the world to him
↳ oxymoron-emphasises the deceased represented the whole world to the poet
contrast of work/rest
↳ central at all times
My working week and my Sundayrest,
my-repitition
My noon, my midnight, my talk my song. → influenced speakers communication + mood
The final line of this stanza expresses the genuine sorrow the speaker experiences over his loss and
I thought that love would last forever; I was wrong. → I waswould last for ever) but now admits, " was wrong." His beloved has died. This marked the end of love
wrong - This is an anti-climax to the romantic idea, showing the poet's disappointment.
The use of the colon after 'forever' focuses attention on the idea that when we die, love dies.
Funeral Blues by W.H. Auden
commanding tones
no further communication is desired → does not want to interact with anyone → wants solitude + silence
when someone dies all clocks in house are stopped
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, → signalled the end of time for the deceased
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone. → speaker does not feel playful and the juicy bone will silence the dog
→ wants the world to acknowledge the death with respect and silence
not even piano music is appreciated → Silence the pianos and with muffled drum, → only wants to hear the sombre beat of the drum as funeral begins
Bring out the coffin. Let the mourners come. → speaker wants to focus of deceased for a proper mourning
µ onomatopoeia: sound of engines → makes it appear as the aeroplane is in mourning
Let the aeroplanes circle moaning overhead The c apital "H" emphasises the i mportance of the deceased person. He was very important.
Therefore, the poet wants the world to know about this death. He does not mention the name of the
Scribbling in the sky the message: "He is Dead!" person, simply says "He". He assumes that people will know who passed away.
scribble-quick → wants the aeroplanes to
→ capitalised: emphasizing the finality of death
announce the death to the world as quickly as
possible
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves
→ wants a public show of grief
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
→ traffic police wear white gloves
↳
He was my North, my South, my East and West, → gave the speaker direction + filled his day with joy = was
sign of mourning
↳ indicates the deceased meant the world to him
↳ oxymoron-emphasises the deceased represented the whole world to the poet
contrast of work/rest
↳ central at all times
My working week and my Sundayrest,
my-repitition
My noon, my midnight, my talk my song. → influenced speakers communication + mood
The final line of this stanza expresses the genuine sorrow the speaker experiences over his loss and
I thought that love would last forever; I was wrong. → I waswould last for ever) but now admits, " was wrong." His beloved has died. This marked the end of love
wrong - This is an anti-climax to the romantic idea, showing the poet's disappointment.
The use of the colon after 'forever' focuses attention on the idea that when we die, love dies.
