In what ways does the image of the clocks and telephones being stopped convey the speaker's overwhelming sense of grief and desire to halt the progression of time? in the poem 'Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone' by H.W. Auden
The image of the clocks being stopped conveys the speaker's overwhelming sense of grief by symbolizing a desire to freeze time, to prevent it from moving forward and carrying on without their loved one. It shows how the speaker wants to pause the world in its tracks, to hold onto the moment before their loss and avoid facing the future without their beloved.
Similarly, cutting off the telephones also suggests a desire to detach from the outside world, to create a barrier between themselves and the reality of their grief. By cutting off communication, the speaker is trying to shut out the intrusion of everyday life, of people and events that remind them of their loss and disrupt their mourning.
Overall, these images of stopping clocks and cutting off telephones convey a deep sense of longing to halt time, to create a space where the speaker can fully immerse themselves in their grief without the distractions of the outside world. It shows the intensity of their sorrow and their desperate need to freeze the moment and hold onto the memory of their loved one.