Funeral Blues Flashcards
(16 cards)
What is the form of Funeral Blues?
The poem is an elegy written in rhyming couplets, generally following iambic pentameter.
What rhyme scheme is used in Funeral Blues?
The poem uses an AABB rhyme scheme throughout.
How does the rhyme scheme contribute to the mood of Funeral Blues?
The regular rhyming couplets create a steady, mournful rhythm that contrasts with the speaker’s intense grief.
Why does Auden use iambic pentameter in Funeral Blues?
It reflects the slow, solemn pace of a funeral procession.
What is the effect of irregular metre in lines like 1 and 10?
It mirrors the emotional instability of the speaker, struggling to contain their grief.
How is Funeral Blues structured?
The poem is 16 lines long, divided into four quatrains, with each stanza exploring a different aspect of grief.
What is the focus of stanza one in Funeral Blues?
The speaker wants to silence all sound and stop time, reflecting shock and disbelief at the death.
What is the speaker’s focus in stanza two of Funeral Blues?
The speaker asks for public mourning and recognition of their loss.
What does stanza three of Funeral Blues express?
The speaker describes the deceased using metaphors, showing how central they were to their life.
What is the message in the final stanza of Funeral Blues?
The speaker no longer sees purpose in life and wants all light and hope removed.
What is the effect of the repetition of ‘my’ in stanza three?
It emphasises the speaker’s deep personal connection to the deceased and intensifies the emotional impact.
How do end-stopped lines contribute to the theme of isolation?
They create a sense of separation, mirroring the speaker’s emotional isolation and loneliness.
What is the effect of the imperatives like ‘stop’, ‘prevent’, and ‘silence’?
They show the speaker’s desire for the world to pause and acknowledge their grief.
How does Auden use hyperbole in stanza three?
He exaggerates the speaker’s dependence on the deceased to stress the depth of loss and the devastation caused by their absence.
What does the speaker want to ‘put out’ in the final stanza, and why?
The sun, moon, and stars—symbols of light and love—are rejected to show that joy and meaning have ended with the loved one’s death.
What is symbolised by the desire to ‘pack up the moon and dismantle the sun’?
It represents the finality of the speaker’s grief and their inability to find meaning in the world without their loved one.
