Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Why do you think Auden chose to use quatrains with a regular rhyme scheme for this poem? Does the form influence how you read the poem? Does it clarify or inform any of the poem's central themes?
- With all those chiming, chatty clocks, it's pretty clear that Time is a central theme in this one. What else is this poem about? Can you identify any other significant themes? Shmoop bets you can. Dig deep.
- Do you think the poem's original speaker (the guy that heard the lover singing) should make a point of finding the lovers and telling them that love is doomed? Why or why not? If you think he should tell the lovers, how do you think they'll react?
- Auden uses a fairly regular meter in this poem. How does this regular rhythm make the poem feel when you read it aloud? Does the feeling fit with the poem's content? Why or why not?
- There are three distinct speakers in this poem: poet-speaker, lover-speaker, and clock-speaker. If you had to pick, which one would you hang out with and which one would you avoid like the plague? Why?
- Auden references some nursery rhymes and children's stories in this poem. Why? This is a poem about big issues like Love and Death. This is no place for magic beans! Or is it?