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Stop All The Clocks
after W.H. Auden
Stop all the clocks, stop all humdrum,
Silence the warblers, their constant hum;
Bid the sun to pause, just stand by
And the moon to remain in the starless sky.
He was my dusk, he was my dawn,
Stop all the clocks, now he is gone;
Quiet the hymns, the evensong,
I thought love would last, I was wrong.
Stop the earth, its constant spin,
Wring the brooks, subdue the din;
Draw the blackest drapes in the sky,
Tell every star to shut its eye.
Cover the hills in blackest shrouds,
Unleash the rain from the darkening clouds,
Scrape the rainbow, call truth a lie;
Prepare the coffin, let me die.
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Radhika Soni resides in India and graduated with Honours in English.
I absolutely love this! Thank you!!
Thank you so much for reading and commenting, Paul. I am glad you liked it.
Such a beautifully crafted melancholy poem upon losing a love. Your imagery is wonderfully wrought and saddens the senses. This is a precious poem from the heart!
I am grateful for your heartfelt comments, Roy. I am glad you liked the poem.
I think Auden would have enjoyed this. Good work!
Thank you so much, Russel for this motivating comment. I am truly honoured.
Wonderfully descriptive poem of such sadness.
Thank you so much, Norma. I truly appreciate your wonderful feedback.
These words have a force and immediacy that I associate with passages from the Bible. Breathtaking.
Thank you so much, Julian for reading and the heartfelt appreciation. I am truly honoured.
A poignant piece and I agree with Russel, Auden would have really enjoyed this. Well done, Radhika!
Thank you for reading, Shamik and the motivating feedback. I am glad you liked the poem.
This is excellent, Radhika. The pain of the narrator is palpable.
Thank you so much for reading, Paul. I truly appreciate your wonderful feedback.
“Tell every star to shut its eye.” is my favorite line; but I love the whole poem, especially the way you bring in the way the sun, moon, and stars are a sort of cosmic clock. Beautiful poem!
I am glad to know you liked the poem, Cynthia. I truly appreciate your heartfelt comments.
A heartfelt poem about loss; and a worthy homage to Auden’s work.
Thank you for your kind words of appreciation, David. I am much honoured.
Superb and so moving… stop all the clocks, I agree