The Themes of Struggles and Dark Changes in Funeral Blues

Wystan Hugh Auden is a poet, playwright, author, and a lead influencer of literature of the 20th century. Auden’s work is mysterious, and dark. Additionally, some of his literature is also mournful. 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. Using imagery and metaphors, Auden develops a theme on the hardships, stress, and change of reality from loss of life. The theme that is developed in this poem is “ loss is unspontaneous and forever life changing”.

Auden begins to create a dreary, mournful tone by using dark imagery to place a creepy feeling in the poem. This creepy feeling that is experienced goes along with the theme of the poem showing just how unspontaneous death is. The dark imagery that is observed in the poem can be found in the first stanza of the poem. The lines in the first stanza are, “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.” What gives this stanza its distinctive darkness in the imagery is how Auden in a way puts a pause on the characters world. The Pause comes from the start when it reads this line,” Stop all the clocks”. That line clearly shows dark imagery because of its ability to make the reader think what it's like for time to stop, which is not only is dark but also sort of apocalyptic.

In the second part of the poem, Auden uses hyperboles to give perspective on how important and loving the character was towards the person that’s dead. Along with the characters loss Auden also describes the characters struggles, and how difficult it can be for a person to stop mourning and grieving death. Towards the end of the poem Auden says the following “The stars are not wanted now; put out everyone, Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun.” Auden uses this line in the poem to show the characters sadness by developing an idea that without this person, nothing in existence is worthy of satisfaction. Auden additionally uses metaphors' to furthermore describe the characters loss, by writing the following, 'He was my north, my south, my east and west.” Auden most likely had written this in the poem to show that the characters loved one had a huge importance in the characters life, in which is now seemingly pointless without them.

In conclusion, the loss of a loved one is a beginning to many mournful emotions and situations, in which will change you and your daily life forever. However, if you haven’t experienced loss of a loved one, Auden does a mysterious but yet amazing job of putting your self into the shoes of those who have. This is done by using literary devices such as imagery, metaphor’s, and even hyperboles. Auden also helps to prepare you for the day when a loss is showered down upon you, your family, and friends for a loved one.