Analysis and Reflections on the Poetry of W.H. Auden

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di Lorep
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Delve into W.H. Auden's poignant poem, analyzing its exploration of love, loss, and grief. Uncover the structure, rhyme scheme, and emotional resonance, highlighting the profound impact of personal loss and the intricate nature of human connections.

Concetti Chiave

  • The poem "Stop all the clocks" by W.H. Auden was written in 1936 and is about the death of a friend during the war.
  • The poem is structured in four stanzas, each consisting of four lines with an irregular length and a consistent rhyme scheme (AABB-CCDD-EEFF-GGHH).
  • Imperative verbs dominate the first two stanzas, while the third stanza reveals a deep personal connection and love for the deceased friend.
  • The final stanza conveys a sense of despair and futility, as the poet feels nothing can bring solace after his friend's death.
  • The poem features stylistic elements like run-on lines, consonances, and repetitions to enhance its emotional impact.

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,

Prevent he 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 crêpe 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 for ever: 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.

Analysis of the stanzas

This poem was written by W.H. Auden in 1936. It is about a friend of the poet who died during the war. We can notice that in the first and second stanza, the verbs are all imperative and in the third stanza there is a declaration of love where the poet says his friend was his reason of life. In the last stanza, he says he doesn’t need anything because he’s dead and there is nothing that can give him love.

Structure and style

This poem is divided into four stanzas and each one is made up of four lines of irregular length, all lines are aligned and begin with a capital letter. There is a regular rhyme scheme (AABB-CCDD-EEFF-GGHH) and there are two run-on-lines: in lines 3-4, (“with muffled drum Bring out the coffin”) and in lines 5-6, (“Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky”). In addiction, there are four end-stopped lines (lines 4-8-12-16) and many consonances: lines 1-2, (“telephone-bone”); lines 7-8, (“doves-gloves); lines 9-10, (“West-rest”); lines 11-12, (“song-wrong”) and lines 15-16,( “wood-good”). There are two repetitions: in lines 5 and 8 (“Let”) and in lines 12, 13 and 14 (“My”).

Personal conclusion

In conclusion, I really like this poem, particularly when the poet make his declaration of love. This poem was read in Mike Newell’s film “Four Weddings and a Funeral”.

Studia con la mappa concettuale

Domande da interrogazione

  1. What is the central theme of W.H. Auden's poem "Stop all the clocks"?

    2. The central theme of the poem is profound grief and loss. The poet expresses the deep sorrow and emptiness felt after the death of a loved one, emphasizing the impact of this loss on his life and the world around him.

  2. What literary devices are prominently used in the poem, and what effect do they have?

    3. The poem uses literary devices such as consonance, repetition, and run-on lines. These devices create a rhythmic flow and emphasize the poet's emotional turmoil, reinforcing the themes of love and loss.

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