5. The poet uses some very powerful verbs in the poem (e.g. ‘muffl ed’). Make a list of any other powerful verbs he uses.
6. Match the poetic technique to the example from the poem.
Poetic Technique Example 1. Personifi cation A. ‘Scribbling on the sky’ 2. Metaphor 3. Assonance 4. Alliteration
word. Using powerful verbs is a very eff ective way of expressing yourself in
fewer words, which is how many poets fi t in so much meaning in a short space.
B. ‘Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead’ C. ‘He was my North, my South, my East and West’
D. ‘muffl ed drum/Bring out the coffi n, let the mourners come’
REMEMBER:
Personifi cation is when non-human objects are given human qualities. We came across it in Collection 5 in the character of Moby the mobile phone in the radio drama ‘Yardstick’.
Working in groups, discuss this statement: M
It doesn’t matter how happy or healthy somebody is in their lives, how they are at the end is the way we’ll remember them.
Think about the poem you have just read and your own experiences when you are giving your opinion. Then discuss your views as a class.
Imagine you have decided to make a short fi lm based on this Auden poem. What would you show? What images and sound eff ects would you include? Write a short treatment (a document that explains the story of a fi lm before any script is written) indicating how it might look and sound.
