‘He had been my personal Northern, my South, my East and you may West’ was a line as to what could be W. H. Auden’s ideal-identified poem, ‘Funeral service Blues’ (as it is known) or ‘Avoid all the clocks’ (as it is also called, as a result of its opening terms). But what ‘s the concept of this line, and you can Auden’s poem as a whole?

Auden’s poem try a keen elegy: a poem written about someone who has passed away. The brand new line ‘He was my Northern, my personal Southern, my East and you may West’ shows the latest depth out of their impact and you can how much the guy supposed to him: while the northern, southern area, eastern, and you will west safeguards all four cardinal factors of your compass, ‘He was my personal North, my personal Southern, my personal Eastern and you may West’ is another way of saying, ‘he had been my personal everything’ or ‘he was everything you to me’.

But there is way more to this poem than just match the attention. Auden’s poem is actually taken to a completely new audience whether it try quoted completely on 1994 flick Five Weddings and you may a funeral. The brand new popularity of the movie, as well as the star John Hannah’s moving understanding of one’s poem during the this new ‘funeral’ of your own film’s label, contributed to Auden’s author, Faber and you will Faber, providing a thin pamphlet out of Auden’s like poems (which have an image off Hugh Grant, this new film’s star, in lieu of Auden into book’s shelter!). (more…)

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