POEM Funeral Blues W.H Auden (1936)

Funeral Blues W.H. AUDEN (1936)

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 crépe 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.

This eulogy was written and spoken by A.H Auden. Auden was homosexual and in a time that was unacceptable he has a normality to his sexuality, there is a gravitas of using the classical and ordered style. This eulogy remains timeless and is still appreciated now.

Language

There is some very emotive language, as if his whole world is crumbling around him "The stars are not wanted now", nothing will compare to his love.  

The eulogy is literally timeless, he wants everything to be quiet and respectful so that he can say goodbye "stop all the clocks" "silence the pianos". 

There is a peace and innocence to this poem "public doves" represents letting go, he can't trap the bird he has to let it go, which Auden is doing here. 

There is also a very short sentence which reveals the reality that can't be hidden behind beautiful poetry "He is dead". He doesn't mention the lovers name, he is restrained in what he says in relation to the context and privacy.

Context and dates

This eulogy was written and performed 30 years before it was even legal in Britain to be gay. Gay sexual relationships were punishable by imprisonment until 1967, making it a crime to express consenting sexual love between adults of the same sex, possibly being the reason why Auden is restrained in the poem. You can admire Auden's stance that whatever cost to his reputation, privacy and security he will celebrate the grief of his love. It is a triumph of liberated self-identity.