Language and style

We will now take a look at the language and the style of the poem “Stop All the Clocks” by W.H. Auden and outline some specific elements the author uses in order to enhance the message and the overall quality of the poem.

Playing with the language

Initially, the poem comes across as very unambiguous and words are used with their exact meaning. However, in  the third and fourth stanzas, the poet starts playing with language, using hyperboles and figurative speech.

In the third stanza , the deceased is depicted as a compass in the speaker’s life and as a constant presence; he becomes both time and music for the narrator:

“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;” 
(ll. 10-12)

Furthermore, in the last stanza, cosmic and natural elements can be changed. Stars can be put out just like some light bulb, the sun can be dismantled, the moon packed and the oceans drained:

“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.” 
(ll. 15-17)

Tense of the verbs

The poem mixes present and past tenses with imperative. Most of the verbs are used in the imperative, suggesting the speaker’s desperation and his orderly tone towards the audience:

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone," 
(ll. 1-2)

When he talks about his feelings for ...

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