Funeral Blues

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By W H Auden

This classic poem by W H Auden is in the form of an elegy, exploring the idea of time cut short by death through powerful imagery and metaphor

This classic poem by W H Auden not only begins with a reference to time (Stop all the clocks…), but it also explores the idea of time cut short by death and the vain hope that loved ones could live for ever. The poem is in the form of an elegy (song of lament) and features metaphor (aeroplanes moan) and powerful imagery. The poem was famously recited in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Previous learning

Children should be able to: understand the term classic; identify that this poem is not written by a contemporary author; recognise, describe and replicate the simple AA BB rhyming structure.