Discuss ways in which two poems, presents the effects of relationship.

(450-550
words)
Funeral blues by W.H. Auden and I Find No peace by Sir Thomas Wyatt

The poem ‘Funeral Blues’ by the plainting poet W.H. Auden and I Find No Peace written by
Sir Thomas Wyatt, both discuss about their types of loves, along with the effect of their
relationship with their adored one on them. While Auden's poem depicts the intense grief of a
lover mourning the loss of their partner and how he’d rather prefer to die than live alone, Sir
Thomas unfolds the glorious and terrible contradictions that come with being in love.
The speaker's intense grief in "Funeral Blues" is a testament to his profound love and
attachment to his partner. Hyperbolic expressions like "Stop all the clocks" and "Silence the
pianos" highlight the poet's devastation over the death of his loved one. The present tense is
used frequently throughout the poem, giving the impression that the speaker is still in the
midst of their mourning, and also requests the reader to lament for his loss.
When a speaker finds it difficult to envision a life without their partner, it is obvious how
much the relationship has affected them. Auden mentions a metaphorically exaggerated
phrase, ‘He was my North, South, East, and West,’ signifying that his partner was the center
of their universe. The writer now feels completely unsociable and lost as a result of losing his
lover. Additionally, while concluding his poem, Auden portrays the effect of losing his
partner, and how it has altered his life permanently. He also delineates that he’ll never be able
to fully recover from this adversity, stating, "For nothing now can ever come to any good."
Comparably, “I Find No Peace” renders the agony of unrequited love. The first line of the
poem, "I find no peace, and all my war is done," makes it clear that the speaker is obsessed
with their paramour. The writer portrays his obsession with his lover, despite of being
rejected several times, while showing how rejection cannot sunder them. "Love is the cause,
and only love," the speaker declares, implying that their emotional stress is a direct result of
their feelings for their beloved.
Sir Thomas used imagery of confinement and entrapment to express his fanatic love. The
usage of the personification "captive bound and double-ironed" implies that their relationship
has turned into a prison, where there’s no escape route remaining, yet only the suffering. The
speaker's physical and emotional exhaustion is another indication of the relationship's
negative effects. They claim to have "spent my prime of youth" and that their life has been
significantly impacted by their unreciprocated love.
The effects of the relationships showcased in both poems are insightful and enduring. In
"Funeral Blues," Auden is left feeling completely alone and hopeless by the death of his
lover, whereas in "I Find No Peace," the speaker's lost love has turned his life into a prison
from which they are unable to free themselves. The transformative power of love and the
long-lasting effects that relationships can have on our lives are powerfully emphasized in
both poems.