Auden's most famous poem is "Funeral Sermon".
W.H. Auden is one of the most important English poets of the 20th century. His poems are both profound and thought-provoking. While several of his poems have received acclaim and attention, one of his most famous is "Funeral Sermon" which is well known in modern culture and popular culture.
The Funeral Sermon is a short, pithy poem originally published in Auden's play The Thin Line in 1936 and later edited into a stand-alone form. This poem expresses the mourning for the end of an intimate relationship and the deceased. It shows the author's inner pain and despair through four short sentences with strong rhythm.
The poem opens with a shocking declaration of "stopping all clocks", which means that the world has lost its meaning and value. The poet then proceeds to list a series of specific requests to demonstrate the deceased's importance to him and the deep emotional connection between them.
He announced a halt to everything, closed street shops, asked police and firefighters to take off their uniforms, and even asked airplane pilots to give up their duties. These requirements not only show the poet's cherishment of the deceased, but also echo his fear of inevitable loss and death in life.
The last two lines of the funeral sermon were particularly emotional and haunting: "He was my north my south my stuff my wages my pleasure." Through mutual opposition and intersection, the poet expresses his strong dependence on the deceased and his inseparable feelings. North, south, east and west represent the position and importance of the deceased in the poet's life, while "my wages, my pleasure" shows the poet's dependence on all aspects of the deceased's existence.
Funeral sermons are widely preached and performed, notably by Henry Kingsley's famous rendition in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral. This further expanded the popularity and influence of the poem, making it a representative work in popular culture.
Overall, funeral sermons are remarkable for their emotional sincerity and brevity. It conveys the author's mourning for the deceased and thoughts on life with precise language and profound emotions. The reputation of this poem shines not only in Auden's work but also in the poetry world as a whole.