'Stop all the Clocks' questions
1. What is the name for this type of poem?
2. What is the theme of each stanza?
3. Why might the writer want to 'stop all the clocks' do you think?
4. Make a list of imperatives used in the first stanza. Why does the writer want an end to these
activities?
5. In lines 5 and 6, what is the effect of sing capital letters for 'He Is Dead' and why do you think the
writer want the words written in the sky?
6. What is unusual about the subjects that he wishes to demonstrate their mourning?
7. In the third stanza, what do we learn about the nature of the relationship between the writer and
the deceased? Explain your answer using evidence from the poem.
8. Explain how the writer uses imperatives and metaphors used in the last stanza to convey the
writer's strong feelings, using evidence from the poem.
9. What is the effect of the aabb rhyme scheme and the use of both an iambic and irregular meter in
the poem?
10. What is the overall tone of the poem? Does this change at different stages of the poem?
11. This poem is often read at funerals. Is it a good choice do you think? Explain your answer.