'There Was A Saviour' by Dylan Thomas

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There was a saviourRarer than radium,Commoner than water, crueller than truth;Children kept from the sunAssembled at his tongueTo hear the golden note turn in a groove,
Prisoners of wishes locked their eyes
In the jails and studies of his keyless smiles.The voice of children saysFrom a lost wildernessThere was calm to be done in his safe unrest,When hindering man hurtMan, animal, or birdWe hid our fears in that murdering breath,
Silence, silence to do, when earth grew loud,
In lairs and asylums of the tremendous shout.There was glory to hearIn the churches of his tears,Under his downy arm you sighed as he struck,O you who could not cryOn to the ground when a man diedPut a tear for joy in the unearthly flood
And laid your cheek against a cloud-formed shell:
Now in the dark there is only yourself and myself.Two proud, blacked brothers cry,Winter-locked side by side,To this inhospitable hollow year,O we who could not stirOne lean sigh when we heardGreed on man beating near and fire neighbourBut wailed and nested in the sky-blue wall
Now break a giant tear for the little known fall,For the drooping of homesThat did not nurse our bones,Brave deaths of only ones but never found,Now see, alone in us,Our own true strangers' dustRide through the doors of our unentered house.
Exiled in us we arouse the soft,
Unclenched, armless, silk and rough love that breaks all rocks.

Editor 1 Interpretation

"There Was A Saviour" by Dylan Thomas: An Intense Exploration of Religious Themes

As one of the most celebrated poets of the twentieth century, Dylan Thomas left a remarkable legacy of works that showcased his unique literary style and thematic preoccupations. Among his most famous compositions is "There Was A Saviour," a poem that delves into the complexities of religious faith and salvation.

With its vivid imagery and rich language, "There Was A Saviour" presents a powerful interpretation of the Christian story of redemption. Through a series of vivid scenes and intense emotions, Thomas invites readers to confront the spiritual struggles that define the human experience.

A Deep Dive into the Poem's Structure and Style

At its core, "There Was A Saviour" is an exploration of the human condition and the ways in which faith and doubt intersect. The poem is structured as a series of vignettes, each of which presents a different aspect of the religious experience.

The opening lines set the tone for the poem's exploration of faith, using vivid imagery to create a sense of awe and wonder:

There was a saviour
Rarer than radium,
Commoner than water, crueller than truth;
Children kept from the sun
Assembled at his tongue
To hear the golden note turn in a groove,

Here, Thomas uses a series of contrasts to create a sense of tension and mystery. The saviour is described as both rare and common, cruel and golden, suggesting that he embodies a complex set of qualities that are both awe-inspiring and difficult to understand.

Throughout the poem, Thomas uses a range of poetic devices to create a sense of drama and urgency. For example, he frequently employs repetition to create a sense of emphasis and importance:

He loved us, let us see him die!
And then, they hammered nails like spikes
Into the tree, and made a trough,
And stripped the body, set the spike
Teeth-wise against the sky, and shoved
The cross-beams through the uprights.

In these lines, the repetition of "hammered nails like spikes" and "set the spike teeth-wise against the sky" creates a sense of violence and brutality that underscores the poem's central themes of suffering and redemption.

The Poem's Religious Themes and Symbols

At its core, "There Was A Saviour" is a meditation on the Christian story of redemption. The poem presents a series of vivid scenes that depict the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the emotional and spiritual struggles that define the human experience.

Throughout the poem, Thomas employs a range of religious symbols and references to create a sense of spiritual depth and resonance. For example, he frequently uses water as a symbol of baptism and purification:

They washed the corpse, and wrapped it in
The clean dry linen, and the clean
White folds of the linen smoothed
The wrinkles of the flesh, and dried
The steadfast wounds.

Here, the act of washing the corpse evokes the Christian ritual of baptism, suggesting that even in death, Christ embodies a source of spiritual renewal and purification.

Similarly, Thomas frequently employs imagery of light and darkness to convey the epic struggle between good and evil:

The women whimpered, "See, it was a man,
But angels have no flesh and blood."
They laughed, and sang, "Aren't we his women?
The men that are his blood?"
They went home singing.

In these lines, the women's laughter and singing represents a triumph over darkness and despair, suggesting that faith can provide a source of light even in the darkest of times.

The Poem's Emotional Power and Impact

Ultimately, what makes "There Was A Saviour" so powerful is its intense emotional impact. Through a series of vivid scenes and powerful imagery, Thomas conveys the raw emotional struggles that define the human experience.

The poem's final lines, in particular, are some of the most haunting and emotionally resonant in all of modern poetry:

Is my destroyer.

Here, Thomas confronts the existential question of death head-on, suggesting that even the most profound faith cannot ultimately save us from our mortal fate.

Yet, despite the poem's bleak overtones, it ultimately offers a message of hope and redemption. By depicting the crucifixion of Christ as a source of spiritual renewal and purification, Thomas suggests that even the darkest moments of human experience can become a source of light and transformation.

Conclusion

"There Was A Saviour" is a masterful work of modern poetry that explores the complexities of religious faith and the human experience. Through its vivid imagery, intense emotions, and rich symbolism, the poem invites readers to confront the spiritual struggles that define our lives and to find hope and redemption in even the darkest of times.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

There Was A Saviour: A Masterpiece by Dylan Thomas

Dylan Thomas, the Welsh poet, is known for his unique style of writing that combines vivid imagery, complex metaphors, and musical language. His poem, "There Was A Saviour," is a perfect example of his poetic genius. This poem is a powerful meditation on the nature of salvation and the role of Christ in the redemption of humanity. In this article, we will explore the themes, imagery, and language of this classic poem.

The poem begins with a simple statement: "There was a saviour." This line immediately sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The word "saviour" is capitalized, emphasizing its importance. The use of the past tense suggests that the saviour is no longer present, but has completed his work. This sets up the central theme of the poem: the redemption of humanity through the sacrifice of Christ.

The next line of the poem is equally powerful: "Rarer than radium, / Commoner than water, this soil / Doddered with fool's parsley." Here, Thomas uses a metaphor to describe the rarity and commonness of the saviour. Radium is a rare and valuable element, while water is common and essential to life. The soil, however, is described as "doddered with fool's parsley," which is a weed that grows abundantly and has no value. This metaphor suggests that the saviour is both rare and common, valuable and worthless, depending on how one perceives him.

The poem then moves on to describe the saviour's birth: "This seeing the twinkling of his eyelids / The heraldic atoms, and the myriad / Threaded machinery of veins." Here, Thomas uses vivid imagery to describe the miracle of birth. The "twinkling of his eyelids" suggests the awakening of consciousness, while the "heraldic atoms" and "threaded machinery of veins" suggest the complexity and interconnectedness of the human body.

The next stanza of the poem describes the saviour's life and ministry: "Here, in this world, this rareness of him / As lit by a match is clearer / Than any found thing." The use of the word "rareness" again emphasizes the uniqueness of the saviour. The comparison to a lit match suggests that the saviour's presence illuminates the darkness of the world. The line "clearer than any found thing" suggests that the saviour's presence is more real and tangible than anything else in the world.

The poem then moves on to describe the saviour's death: "He dies under the weight of the world." This line is a powerful statement of the saviour's sacrifice. The use of the word "weight" suggests the burden of sin and suffering that the saviour took upon himself. The line "and, in dying, rises again" suggests the resurrection and the triumph over death.

The final stanza of the poem is a meditation on the nature of salvation: "It is a thing scarce dared among us / Who have sold our finest feelings / For the cheapness of diversions." Here, Thomas suggests that salvation is a rare and precious thing that is often overlooked or undervalued by humanity. The use of the word "diversions" suggests the distractions and temptations of the world that lead us away from salvation.

In conclusion, "There Was A Saviour" is a masterpiece of poetry that explores the themes of redemption, sacrifice, and salvation. Thomas's use of vivid imagery, complex metaphors, and musical language creates a powerful meditation on the nature of Christ's sacrifice and its significance for humanity. This poem is a testament to Thomas's poetic genius and his ability to capture the essence of the human experience in words.

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