Get the entire guide to Funeral Blues (Stop all the clocks) as a printable PDF. A dead dude, mourners, a funeral, and a sad speaker? The opening line references the points of a compass and carries the suggestion of a loss of direction. Death is the subject of this poem, and becomes clear when Auden says, Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come. Perhaps his grief is so consuming, that he wants it to be reflected in the entire world around him.Lines 1-4: The speaker wants quiet so that the drum of the funeral march can be heard by the mourners of the dead man. It is an atypically somber poem and is, therefore, a popular reading at funerals. One has to move forward in order to comfortably resolve a phrase or sentence. He wants a public acknowledgement of the man with whom hes spent his private life.Nature Symbol AnalysisSun, moon, starssounds lovely, right? Beowulf and his people worship a pagan god who serves to [], Within the Old English epic poem entitled 'Beowulf,' one theme dominates: to overcome chaos and establish order, a fearless individual must continually fight the force of evil. What devices or figures of speech does Auden use in the ninth - eNotes In William Shakespeares Sonnet 30, he describes what its like looking back on life. Intertextuality gives the reader a heightened sense of genre, [], The epic poem Beowulf highlights the role of God as a guiding protector who provides earthly wealth and well-being to the people of 6th century Denmark and Sweden. New interpretations of the text, however, focus more on Beowulf the man rather than Beowulf the [], James Earl argued that Beowulf should be read in context of historical and external knowledge. The stanzas final two declarative phrases convey a romantic belief before ruthlessly and bluntly dispelling it with a harsh reality. Comparison Of Funeral Blues By W. H Auden And Long Distance (ii) By Tony Harrison Essay, The Analysis Of Sonnet 18 and Funeral Blues Essay, Loss Of Friend: "Funeral Blues" By Wystan Hugh Auden Essay, Hero and a Fraud: an Archeologist Who Discovered the Site of Troy Essay, Homer And His Impact On The Greek Culture Essay, Suffering As A Catalyst For Self-Improvement In Homers Odyssey Essay, Episodes Of Extreme Violence In The Story Of Niobe In Homers "Iliad" Essay, The Archetypal Villain And Its Role In The Story Essay. DictionThe poems diction confirms the speakers world appears to have come to an end. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper. Rather, it is a representation of the footsteps of pole bearers as the next line in the stanza references the arrival of the coffin. 11My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; 12I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong. Many blues musicians and fans attended his funeral on May 4th 1983 at Restvale Cemetery in Alsip, Show more . Students who find writing to be a difficult task. Funeral Blues Stanza 3 | Shmoop Later works consisted of professing Christianity, and what he considered increasing conservatism. There is a simple AABB rhyme scheme throughout, and the imagery is familiar and recognisable. Poetry analysis of Auden's Funeral Blues. - GCSE English - Marked by ENGLISH GRADE 10: POETRY - FUNERAL BLUES | Create WebQuest Let us write you an essay from scratch, Order a custom essay from our writers and get it on time, The Portrayal of Loss and Love in One-sex Relationship Essay, Anglo-Saxon Ideologies and Pagan Customary Practices in Beowulf Essay, Role of the Supernatural in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and Beowulf Essay, Beowulf as a Representation of Mankind Essay, Critical Approaches Of Strength And Diversity Evident In Beowulf Essay, The Role of the Battle Between Beowulf and Grendels Mother in the Poem Essay, Grendels Point Of View In Beowulf As The Perfect Hero/Villain Essay, The Triumphant Beliefs Of Pagans In Beowulf Essay. Barnet, S. (1993). Whether it be sad feelings or happy feelings. Auden is using heroic couplets instead of alternating rhymes.Analysis: SpeakerLets list what we know about the speaker.1. What a powerful way to start a poem. Not only that, but also it shows confirmation of his friends death. An elegiac stanza is a quatrain written in iambic pentameter, usually with the rhyme scheme ABAB. Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead. The effect of the loss is heightened further by the explanation that he was present for both the daily grind of work and the Sunday rest periods (line 10). The first part of the poem really brings out the speaker's feelings about his friends death. It doesnt seem like the dead man was important worldwide. The term blues is an effective one because it may refer to both a dismal mood and a sluggish, mournful musical work. For example, the fourth line of the first stanza, as well as the fourth line of the third stanza. Throughout this poem the narrator also uses other symbols to explain how the good things in life mean nothing now that the lover is dead. One of Auden's less commonly known poems "Funeral Blues" is clearly more sad than dark, when compared to most of his literature and poems. The poem is a narrative poem. Elizabeth Bishop's 'Funeral Blues, AndOne Art' In W.H. In an almost pitiful illusion, the planes are heard moaning (line 5), keening in response to the bad news. In the second stanza, he makes particular use of color as he describes. 1. It is through you visiting Poem Analysis that we are able to contribute to charity. But the speakers grief and hopelessness is so intense that he wishes he could. That element fits the title. During the second part of the poem, it shows the speakers personal view. If you fit this description, you can use our free essay samples to generate ideas, get inspired and figure out a title or outline for your paper. Auden just didnt use imagery to show the narrators true feelings. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. A poetry analysis of Funeral Blues by W H Auden will usually end up talking about the themes of time, loss, emotion and control. Imagery is a huge element in many poems. (1983). Enjambment forces a reader down to the next line, and the next, quickly. Feel free to use our Our friends and family members were beyond impressed at the celebration of life that was conducted by this caring and compassionate group of guys. In the time of despair in the funereal, the speaker says He was my North, my South, my Eastand West. This quote should not be taken literally. Throughout the ages of literature, a concept that has always been under constant scrutiny is masculinity. Auden speaks of the loss of a loved one. Tom O'Bedlam reads the poem out loud. Maybe he wants to make sure that everyone can hear his lament. The speakers loss and hopeless can was really shown to the readers in this line. I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong. Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. Its almost as if he wants to blot out everything in the world except his own mourning.Lines 15-16Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;For nothing now can ever come to any good.In these final lines, the speaker continues his hyperbolic thinking and asks us to get rid of the ocean and the wood (by wood, he probably means the forests). Put crpe bows round the white necks of the public doves, Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.More public demands; the speaker wants even the public doves we have a strong feeling that these are pigeons to honour the dead man. The filmhelped secure the poem's placein modern pop culture. The speaker feels a sense of disorder as a result of losing a relationship that was such an integral part of his life.TONEThe opening two stanzas have an authoritative and demanding tone; the speaker uses the imperative form with stop all the clocks. He insists on everyone paying their respects to the deceased. Analysis of Figurative Language in W.H. LitCharts Teacher Editions. We all express those feelings emotionally or physically. The next line furthers the importance of the deceased. Auden in 1938. Audens poems last line contains the most intriguing wording. Funeral Blues Wayne Huge Auden was born in York in 1907. Auden, the true feelings of the speaker are shown in a magnificent way by figurative language. Thus, white, the symbolic colour of innocence, is diminished or replaced by black, the traditional colour of mourning and one that represents a public acknowledgement of death (much like the black band worn by athletes on their uniforms on similarly mournful occasions). The speakers despair is so total that no celestial body, not stars, not moon, not sun can provide any ray of hope. Death is a tragic event in anyone's life, and poet W.H Auden expresses his feelings of hopelessness in the poem, "Funeral Blues." This poem expresses the feelings of misery and depression after a loved one dies, and promotes the idea to not get fooled by love because it never lasts- once it's gone, nothing is meaningful anymore. W. H. Auden: Poems "Funeral Blues (Stop All the Clocks)" Summary and Marcus: Thor:Gamer RSVphase3guineapig - Twitter A scene from the classic 1994 film in which a character recites "Funeral Blues" at his partner's funeral. And the rhyme scheme is tweaked a bit, too: aabb instead of abab. Auden in 1938. Auden that uses vivid imagery to convey the sense of loss and grief experienced after the death of a loved one. Samplius is for students who want to get an idea for their own paper. The poem comprises four quatrains or four-lined stanzas. What this does is that it tells the readers the extent of his hopelessness. From the title to the last word, he portrayed imagery, symbolism, and hyperboles. He is heartbroken and cannot see the good in anything now that his loved one has died. Thus, Funeral Blues paints a realistic and emotional portrait of the immense pain and suffering that the death of a loved one may bring. The poem is a poetic rendering of folk tale. He brought conversation and joy into the speaker's life. plagiarism-free paper. In the time of despair in the funereal, the speaker says He was my North, my South, my Eastand West. This quote should not be taken literally. His early poetry had given a "witty and technically accomplished writer" according to his A classic way to show glimpses of your loved one's life is with a memory board or memorial collage. Funeral Blues Analysis | Shmoop Even though no one could ever dismantle the sun, the speakers grief is so intense that he wishes that we could. It showcases Audens poetic ability to relate to human emotions. Seems fair enough. Get custom essays. A scene from the classic 1994 film in which a character recites "Funeral Blues" at his partner's funeral. He published it with illustrated plates of his own design, a feat he accomplished by an engraving and illustrating method of his own conception. W.H Auden's "Funeral Blues," written in 1936, illustrates a funeral scenario where the speaker expresses his sadness over the loss of a loved one, and the respect and silence that was present, followed by past memories. This is appropriate for the titles Blues musical composition. Funeral Blues is written in quatrains, and it does make use of iambic pentameter, but its highly irregular in its meter, with extra syllables here and shaky feet there. It is a fantastic illustration of how a gifted poet can do complex things within a simple poetic form, as it is written in predominantly masculine rhyme with lines ranging from tetrameter to hexameter.