.

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.

.

.

Radhika Soni resides in India and graduated with Honours in English.

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18 Responses

    • Radhika Soni

      Thank you so much for reading and commenting, Paul. I am glad you liked it.

      Reply
  2. Roy Eugene Peterson

    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!

    Reply
    • Radhika Soni

      I am grateful for your heartfelt comments, Roy. I am glad you liked the poem.

      Reply
    • Radhika Soni

      Thank you so much, Russel for this motivating comment. I am truly honoured.

      Reply
    • Radhika Soni

      Thank you so much, Norma. I truly appreciate your wonderful feedback.

      Reply
  5. Julian D. Woodruff

    These words have a force and immediacy that I associate with passages from the Bible. Breathtaking.

    Reply
    • Radhika Soni

      Thank you so much, Julian for reading and the heartfelt appreciation. I am truly honoured.

      Reply
  6. Shamik Banerjee

    A poignant piece and I agree with Russel, Auden would have really enjoyed this. Well done, Radhika!

    Reply
    • Radhika Soni

      Thank you for reading, Shamik and the motivating feedback. I am glad you liked the poem.

      Reply
  7. Paul A. Freeman

    This is excellent, Radhika. The pain of the narrator is palpable.

    Reply
    • Radhika Soni

      Thank you so much for reading, Paul. I truly appreciate your wonderful feedback.

      Reply
  8. Cynthia Erlandson

    “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!

    Reply
  9. Radhika Soni

    I am glad to know you liked the poem, Cynthia. I truly appreciate your heartfelt comments.

    Reply
  10. David Whippman

    A heartfelt poem about loss; and a worthy homage to Auden’s work.

    Reply
    • Radhika Soni

      Thank you for your kind words of appreciation, David. I am much honoured.

      Reply

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