He Was My Everything “Stop all the Clocks” is a beautifully compelling poem by W. H. Auden. It is a eulogy of sorts, but also a love poem. It is compelling because of the way Auden manipulates language through metaphors. He refrains from using similes because metaphors are the stronger method of comparison. The strength of metaphors comes from their layered meanings, their subjective meanings, and their structure; they are what make this poem powerful. Metaphors are buried in layers. They intertwine meanings and characteristics making the metaphors more than just a simple comparison. With similes, the target and source are often easy to pinpoint. Characteristics of the source apply to the target, but with metaphors, it is often difficult
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By creating this level of engagement they make the poem more subjective and worth more to each person because to each person it means something different. Certain metaphors stand out when reading the poem, some due to their euphoric sound, others based on diction, and some based on their impossibility. By actively engaging with the text and trying to create your own meaning makes the poem more valuable and meaningful. For example, the ninth line is what catches my attention and so I work through the north, south, east, and west metaphor. He compares compass points to his lover, and one often uses a compass when searching for a specific location or when lost. This leads to two possibilities. Either the speaker was lost and relying on his lover to provide him with a sense of direction or he was using his lover to reach a destination. The destination itself could be a metaphor depending on personal experiences. It could be a spiritual quest, it could be religious, or maybe just looking for happiness, the results are endless. They are infinite because everyone is different; the thoughts inside of our heads are our own. Our personal experiences help provide more meaning to metaphors. If we try to exploit the limits of metaphors, it results in a closer connection with the poem therefore making it more powerful and personal to each
By creating this level of engagement they make the poem more subjective and worth more to each person because to each person it means something different. Certain metaphors stand out when reading the poem, some due to their euphoric sound, others based on diction, and some based on their impossibility. By actively engaging with the text and trying to create your own meaning makes the poem more valuable and meaningful. For example, the ninth line is what catches my attention and so I work through the north, south, east, and west metaphor. He compares compass points to his lover, and one often uses a compass when searching for a specific location or when lost. This leads to two possibilities. Either the speaker was lost and relying on his lover to provide him with a sense of direction or he was using his lover to reach a destination. The destination itself could be a metaphor depending on personal experiences. It could be a spiritual quest, it could be religious, or maybe just looking for happiness, the results are endless. They are infinite because everyone is different; the thoughts inside of our heads are our own. Our personal experiences help provide more meaning to metaphors. If we try to exploit the limits of metaphors, it results in a closer connection with the poem therefore making it more powerful and personal to each