Dylan Thomas 1914 - 1953

Dylan Thomas 1914 - 1953

Dylan Thomas came from South Wales and much of his works reflects his early life and experiences there. He began to write poetry while at school and worked as a journalist, broadcaster and film-maker. He quickly gained a reputation for his hard drinking and bohemian life. His talent and his personality were much appreciated in the United States

● Themes:

Nature is seen as a sacred external entity. His feelings and descriptions of nature caused him to be called a new Romantic.

Connected with the previous theme, the close connection between death and life.

An idealisation of childhood.

The horrors of war. Thomas was deeply shocked by German air raids on London.

Texts:

● And Death Shall Have No Dominion

This poem, dedicated to his father and taken from his most famous collection, Twenty-five Poems, shows us how meditation on death is seen by the poet. Though using Bible's language and rhythms (the phrase "And Death shall have no dominion" is modelled on St Paul's Epistle to the Romans in the New Testament), the poem is not religious in a confessional sense. The many strong images of violent and natural death are rhythmically swept aside by this repeated affirmation of faith in life.