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W.H. Auden Trivia

W.H. Auden Trivia Quizzes

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Wystan Hugh Auden wrote over four hundred poems (two of them book-length) in a wide range of styles, along with numerous essays, as well as collaborating on plays, movies and operas.
2 W.H. Auden quizzes and 25 W.H. Auden trivia questions.
1.
  "Funeral Blues" by W.H. Auden   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I first heard this poem on "Four Weddings and a Funeral". It was so beautiful I wanted to make a quiz about it.
Average, 10 Qns, pennie1478, Jun 17 14
Average
pennie1478 gold member
680 plays
2.
  Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
In this multiple-choice quiz you will need to choose one poetical word for each line of the same well-known W.H. Auden poem (with the title at the end). Look for clues in the first line of each question.
Average, 15 Qns, jmvoya, Jun 22 14
Average
jmvoya
286 plays
trivia question Quick Question
What word do you think would twinkle in this line of W.H. Auden's poem? "The ______ are not wanted now: put out every one;"

From Quiz "Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?"




Related Topics
  Poetry [Literature] (166 quizzes)


W.H. Auden Trivia Questions
1. What timely word do you think W.H. Auden would have used in the first line of this poem? "Stop all the ______, cut off the telephone,"

From Quiz Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?

Answer: clocks

Originally, Auden wrote a similar version of this poem for a play called "The Ascent of F6" (co-written with Christopher Isherwood).

2. What is the first line of the poem "Funeral Blues"?

From Quiz "Funeral Blues" by W.H. Auden

Answer: Stop all the clocks

"Stop all the clocks" is the first line of the poem "Funeral Blues" written by Wystan Hugh Auden in 1936.

3. What word do you think W.H. Auden would have used to make this line of his poem as distinctive as the outer layer of a tree trunk? "Prevent the dog from ______ with a juicy bone,"

From Quiz Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?

Answer: barking

In Auden and Isherwood's 1937 play, this piece was intended to be a satirical poem of mourning which mocked the death of a fictional politician.

4. How was the dog supposed to be prevented from barking?

From Quiz "Funeral Blues" by W.H. Auden

Answer: A juicy bone

The original four stanza poem was from Auden's play "The Ascent of F6" which he wrote with Christopher Isherwood. It was quoted in the funeral scene of a political figure written for the play.

5. What word do you think W.H. Auden would have used so this line of his poem would be as smooth as ivory? "Silence the ______ and with muffled drum"

From Quiz Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?

Answer: pianos

Auden's final version of the poem (used in this quiz) was presented in 1938 as a non-satirical cabaret song for the singer Hedli Anderson, a celebrated soprano of that era.

6. What message were the airplanes (or aeroplanes) going to write in the air?

From Quiz "Funeral Blues" by W.H. Auden

Answer: He is dead

The poem was to be put to music and sung by opera star Hedli Anderson in an arrangement done by a British composer named Benjamin Britten.

7. What rectangular word do you think W.H. Auden would have used in this line of his poem? "Bring out the ______, let the mourners come."

From Quiz Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?

Answer: coffin

The music for the cabaret song (of this poem) was written by the composer Benjamin Britten who arranged it for solo voice and piano in a collection of settings of Auden's poems under the title "Cabaret Songs."

8. What color gloves were the traffic policemen to wear?

From Quiz "Funeral Blues" by W.H. Auden

Answer: Black cotton gloves

Auden put the poem in a book of other poems and the gave the book the title, "Another Time". The four poems in the book were meant as cabaret songs for Hedli Anderson.

9. What word do you think W.H. Auden would have used to round out this line of his poem? "Let aeroplanes ______ moaning overhead"

From Quiz Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?

Answer: circle

In 1940, Auden published this poem in his collection "Another Time" where it was one part of the sequence called "Four Cabaret Songs for Miss Hedli Anderson."

10. What day did Auden say was his day of rest?

From Quiz "Funeral Blues" by W.H. Auden

Answer: Sunday

"Funeral Blues" was quoted by actor John Hannah in the 1994 award winning movie, "Four Weddings and a Funeral", at the funeral of his partner Gareth.

11. What word do you think W.H. Auden would have used to make this line of his poem look messy? "______ on the sky the message 'He Is Dead'."

From Quiz Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?

Answer: Scribbling

The use of the child-like word, 'scribbling,' is an example of Auden's penchant for mixing formal and traditional words, images and structure with informal and more modern counterparts.

12. How does the quote end? "He was my noon, my midnight, my talk, my ____"

From Quiz "Funeral Blues" by W.H. Auden

Answer: Song

The poem is a tribute poem inscribed on a wall in Belgium where a retaining wall collapsed killing thirty-nine people. A soccer game was being played by England and Italy.

13. What word do you think W.H. Auden would have wanted everyone to see in this line of his poem? "Put crêpe bows round the white necks of the ______ doves,"

From Quiz Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?

Answer: public

Many people recognize this poem because it was recited in a moving scene from the movie, "Four Weddings and a Funeral."

14. What word do you think W.H. Auden would have directed you toward in this line of his poem? "Let the ______ policemen wear black cotton gloves."

From Quiz Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?

Answer: traffic

After the events of September 11, 2001, another of Auden's poems was often quoted. It was called, "September 1, 1939" and was inspired by the outbreak of WWII. In one memorable line Auden wrote, "We must love one another or die".

15. What does Auden want done with the sun?

From Quiz "Funeral Blues" by W.H. Auden

Answer: Dismantled

Auden wants the sun dismantled and the moon packed up. DJ Noize used lines of "Funeral Blues" in his CD "Think Differently Music: Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture".

16. As a pro, which noun do you think W.H. Auden would have used in this line of his poem? "______ was my North, my South, my East and West,"

From Quiz Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?

Answer: He

Some of Auden's central poetic themes included politics, citizenship, religion, morals and, of course, love.

17. How does this line go? "Pour away the ____ and sweep up the woods".

From Quiz "Funeral Blues" by W.H. Auden

Answer: Ocean

The United Kingdom edition of the book "Another Time" has the poem "Funeral Blues" in it. The UK's edition of this poem is the only country that has a misprint in line fifteen. The line, "Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods", is written without the letter 's' in 'woods'.

18. What word do you think W.H. Auden would have used to get the job done in this line of his poem? "My ______ week and my Sunday rest,"

From Quiz Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?

Answer: working

In his younger years many of Auden's poems were inspired by his unconsummated love for certain individuals.

19. What is the last word of this poem?

From Quiz "Funeral Blues" by W.H. Auden

Answer: Good

"Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come. Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead. Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves, Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves. He was my North, my South, my East and West, My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong. The stars are not wanted now; put out every one, Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun, Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods; For nothing now can ever come to any good."

20. What lyrical word do you think W.H. Auden would have used in this line of his poem? "My noon, my midnight, my talk, my ______;"

From Quiz Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?

Answer: song

In his poetry, Auden often explored the ways in which words both concealed and revealed strong emotions.

21. What word do you think W.H. Auden would have used in this emotional line of his poem? "I thought that ______ would last for ever: I was wrong."

From Quiz Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?

Answer: love

Although this poem seems to be quite personal and intimate which strikes a chord with many people, there is no evidence to suggest that Auden wrote it about any particular person.

22. What word do you think would twinkle in this line of W.H. Auden's poem? "The ______ are not wanted now: put out every one;"

From Quiz Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?

Answer: stars

One of Auden's recurring themes explored the contrast between human beings as unique, passionate individuals and the, seemingly, undifferentiated and indifferent world of nature.

23. What word do you think W.H. Auden would have used to cast a pale light on this line of his poem? "Pack up the ______ and dismantle the sun;"

From Quiz Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?

Answer: moon

On May 29, 1985 a retaining wall collapsed at Heysel Stadium in Brussels when fans brawled prior to Liverpool FC playing Juventus FC in the European Cup final. Thirty-nine people were killed and 600 injured in what came to be known as the Heysel Stadium disaster. A sundial sculpture was dedicated in commemoration of the disaster on May 29, 2005 with this poem by Auden inscribed on it.

24. What salty word do you think W.H. Auden would have used in this penultimate line of his poem? "Pour away the ______ and sweep up the wood. For nothing now can ever come to any good."

From Quiz Can You Write Like W.H. Auden?

Answer: ocean

In the British edition of Auden's poetry collection, "Another Time", there is a misprint. Instead of 'wood' that edition printed the word 'woods'.

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