Death & Grief Poetry

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Summary of Funeral Blues The poem ‘Funeral Blues’ is a lament for a friend. ‘Blues’ is an American word for a sad song Lament: To express grief or mourn: lament a death.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJwmpmZytGg

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. W.H. Auden

Summary of Funeral Blues Stanza One Auden wants everything normal to stop while the funeral of his friend is taking place. The poet is so sad he wants to hush the sound of clocks because of the death of his friend. He doesn‘t want to hear telephones ringing, the barking of dogs or music—including the sound of pianos. As a mark of respect to his dead friend, he desires funeral drums to beat with a low sound.

Summary of Funeral Blues Stanza Two Auden calls for aeroplanes to circle overhead to mark the death of his friend. He would like the planes to notify everybody about the death of his dear friend. The sound of the planes would be like a mourning sound. Auden would like white doves with black bows to be released in honour of his friend. He grief is so great that he would like the traffic police to wear black gloves instead of the normal white gloves they use to direct traffic.

Summary of Funeral Blues Stanza Three This stanza contains an outpouring of emotions. Auden states his friend meant everything to him. He was his compass or guide. He was his best supporter during the working week. He was his companion on Sunday, his rest day. Auden felt inseparable from his friend. He was there in his thoughts at every noon, at midnight, in his conversations. At key times everyday he saw or thought about him. Auden’s friend was the song in his soul. Auden believed he would always have his friend, but he was wrong.

Summary of Funeral Blues Stanza Four Auden shows us how devastated he feels without his friend. As in the first stanza, he wants to cancel or abolish certain things because of his grief. He wants to destroy the universe: the stars, moon and sun. Auden wants to get rid of the oceans and forests of the earth. There is no point in living without his friend. He feels like the world cannot continue.

Themes The theme of this poem is death and grief. The speaker is expressing grief at the death of a loved one. There is a sense that the speaker wants the world to come to an end now that his beloved is no longer in the world “the stars are not wanted now” and “pour away the ocean”.

Mood and Tone The tone of the poem is sadness and almost desperation that a person who was so loved is now gone. The speaker wants the world to stop in recognition of the loss of this beloved person “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone”

Questions Part One! What is the poem Funeral Blues about? In the first stanza how can we tell how sad the poet is? What would the poet like done in the second stanza? What do you think is the best line in the poem? Why?

Poetic Techniques There are many poetic techniques used in this poem to help make the poem better. Rhyme: there are several examples of rhyme “overhead” and “dead” “doves” and “gloves” “West” and “rest” “song” and “wrong”

“He was my North, my South, my East and West” Poetic technique: Metaphors In the third stanza the poet states that his dead friend was his compass – this metaphor shows love. This person meant everything to the poet. “He was my North, my South, my East and West”

“Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead” Poetic technique: Personification Auden personifies aeroplanes by imagining their engines moaning in grief overhead. Even inanimate objects are grieving the loss. “Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead”

‘Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun’. Poetic technique: Hyperbole : Auden uses hyperbole to get across his love for his friend. He uses impossible situations or exaggerated situations, e.g. you cannot pack up the moon. ‘Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun’.

Poetic technique: Alliteration The frequent use of words beginning with “m” between lines three and six to emphasise moaning and mourning.

Questions Part Two! List all of the poetic techniques used in this poem. Pick one poetic technique that is used. Explain what it means, give an example of when it is used in the poem and explain what it shows us.