Funeral Blues read the poem in memory of Denholm Reynholm, before he is interrupted by the return of Reynholm's son, Douglas. Funeral Blues "Funeral Blues" or "Stop all the clocks" is a poem by W. H. Auden. An early version was published in 1936, but the poem in its final, familiar form was first published in "The Year's Poetry" (London, 1938). The first, and less widely known, version of the poem, written and published in 1936, has five stanzas; the 1938 final version has four. Only the first two stanzas are the same in both versions. The 1936 version was a satiric
The Clocks begins well, with the discovery of a stranger in a suburban sitting-room, with four strange clocks all showing the same time; but thereafter the story, though as readable as ever, does tends to hang fire. Also there is one very corny item, the vital witness killed when on the point of disclosing crucial information, which is quite unworthy of Miss Christie." Maurice Richardson of "The Observer" (10 November 1963) concluded, "Not as zestful as usual. Plenty of ingenuity about the timing, though." Robert Barnard: "Lively, well-narrated, highly unlikely late specimen – you have to accept two spies and three murderers