Why do you think the speaker compares his loved one to cardinal directions? What does it imply about the deceased, in the poem 'Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone' by H.W. Auden
The comparison of the loved one to cardinal directions in the poem 'Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone' by H.W. Auden suggests that the deceased was a constant and unchanging presence in the speaker's life. The cardinal directions represent stability, guidance, and a sense of orientation – qualities that the deceased embodied for the speaker.
By comparing the loved one to cardinal directions, the speaker is highlighting the importance and influence that the deceased had on their life. The cardinal directions are essential for navigation and finding one's way, just as the deceased was essential to the speaker's emotional wellbeing and sense of direction in life.
Overall, the comparison implies that the deceased was a central and grounding figure in the speaker's life, someone who provided them with guidance, stability, and a sense of purpose. The loss of this person is therefore depicted as a devastating and disorienting event, as if the speaker has lost their compass and is now adrift without direction.