'Author's Prologue' by Dylan Thomas

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This day winding down now
At God speeded summer's end
In the torrent salmon sun,
In my seashaken house
On a breakneck of rocks
Tangled with chirrup and fruit,
Froth, flute, fin, and quill
At a wood's dancing hoof,
By scummed, starfish sands
With their fishwife cross
Gulls, pipers, cockles, and snails,
Out there, crow black, men
Tackled with clouds, who kneel
To the sunset nets,
Geese nearly in heaven, boys
Stabbing, and herons, and shells
That speak seven seas,
Eternal waters away
From the cities of nine
Days' night whose towers will catch
In the religious wind
Like stalks of tall, dry straw,
At poor peace I sing
To you strangers (though song
Is a burning and crested act,
The fire of birds in
The world's turning wood,
For my swan, splay sounds),
Out of these seathumbed leaves
That will fly and fall
Like leaves of trees and as soon
Crumble and undie
Into the dogdayed night.
Seaward the salmon, sucked sun slips,
And the dumb swans drub blue
My dabbed bay's dusk, as I hack
This rumpus of shapes
For you to know
How I, a spining man,
Glory also this star, bird
Roared, sea born, man torn, blood blest.
Hark: I trumpet the place,
From fish to jumping hill! Look:
I build my bellowing ark
To the best of my love
As the flood begins,
Out of the fountainhead
Of fear, rage read, manalive,
Molten and mountainous to stream
Over the wound asleep
Sheep white hollow farms
To Wales in my arms.
Hoo, there, in castle keep,
You king singsong owls, who moonbeam
The flickering runs and dive
The dingle furred deer dead!
Huloo, on plumbed bryns,
O my ruffled ring dove
in the hooting, nearly dark
With Welsh and reverent rook,
Coo rooning the woods' praise,
who moons her blue notes from her nest
Down to the curlew herd!
Ho, hullaballoing clan
Agape, with woe
In your beaks, on the gabbing capes!
Heigh, on horseback hill, jack
Whisking hare! who
Hears, there, this fox light, my flood ship's
Clangour as I hew and smite
(A clash of anvils for my
Hubbub and fiddle, this tune
On atounged puffball)
But animals thick as theives
On God's rough tumbling grounds
(Hail to His beasthood!).
Beasts who sleep good and thin,
Hist, in hogback woods! The haystacked
Hollow farms ina throng
Of waters cluck and cling,
And barnroofs cockcrow war!
O kingdom of neighbors finned
Felled and quilled, flash to my patch
Work ark and the moonshine
Drinking Noah of the bay,
With pelt, and scale, and fleece:
Only the drowned deep bells
Of sheep and churches noise
Poor peace as the sun sets
And dark shoals every holy field.
We will ride out alone then,
Under the stars of Wales,
Cry, Multiudes of arks! Across
The water lidded lands,
Manned with their loves they'll move
Like wooden islands, hill to hill.
Huloo, my prowed dove with a flute!
Ahoy, old, sea-legged fox,
Tom tit and Dai mouse!
My ark sings in the sun
At God speeded summer's end
And the flood flowers now.

Editor 1 Interpretation

The Magnificent Artistry of Dylan Thomas in "Author's Prologue"

When you hear the name Dylan Thomas, what comes to your mind? Perhaps, his famous poem "Do not go gentle into that good night" or "And death shall have no dominion"? But have you ever read "Author's Prologue"? If not, then you're in for a treat because this poem is a masterpiece of modern literature, full of rich imagery, lyrical language, and Thomas's quintessential poetic style.

The poem opens with the speaker addressing the reader, telling them that he will be their guide through the world of his poetry. The speaker is none other than the author himself, Dylan Thomas. He speaks with confidence, as if he knows he has something special to offer his audience. He says:

"I make one pledge to you, / And to myself, and it is this-- / We shall not listen to the raucous mermaids / Of reality, who will wag their tails / And howl, their lives long, / At the basaltic whales."

Here, Thomas is making a promise to his readers that he will not conform to the demands of the world around him, but will instead stay true to his poetic vision. He refuses to listen to the "raucous mermaids of reality," who would try to lure him away from his art. Instead, he will remain steadfast in his commitment to poetry, even if it means swimming against the current.

Thomas then goes on to describe the world of his poetry, which is full of vivid imagery and fantastical creatures. He says:

"I have a world of you own, / Ye soft people of the dusk and the water-lilies, / And ye who make the cities, / With your downcast eyes and your chin-beards, / And your shirts of coarse linen, / And your satchels of blue cloth, / And your sandals of buffalo-hide, / And your shining hair in the wind."

Thomas's world is a world of contrasts, where the softness of the dusk and the water-lilies is juxtaposed with the harshness of the cities and their inhabitants. He describes the people of his world with such detail that you can almost see them in your mind's eye. Their downcast eyes, chin-beards, and coarse linen shirts are all part of the fabric of this imaginary world.

As the poem progresses, Thomas becomes increasingly confident in his role as a poet. He says:

"I am the poet, / The father of the young men and the old men, / The lover of women and the eldritch shadow / That follows the bridegroom to his chamber."

Here, Thomas is claiming his rightful place as a poet. He sees himself as the father of both young and old men, and as a lover of women. He also describes himself as an "eldritch shadow," which is a reference to his dark and eerie style of poetry. He is not afraid to embrace the darker side of life, and this makes his poetry all the more powerful.

Thomas's language is rich and lyrical throughout the poem, and he uses a variety of poetic devices to create a sense of depth and complexity. For example, he uses repetition to emphasize certain ideas:

"I am the poet, / The father of the young men and the old men, / The lover of women and the eldritch shadow."

Here, the repetition of the phrase "I am the poet" creates a sense of rhythm and momentum that drives the poem forward.

Overall, "Author's Prologue" is a magnificent piece of poetry that showcases Dylan Thomas's artistry and skill as a poet. He creates a vivid and fantastical world that is full of rich imagery and lyrical language. His use of repetition and other poetic devices adds depth and complexity to the poem, making it all the more powerful. If you haven't read this poem yet, then you're missing out on one of the greatest works of modern literature. So go ahead, dive into the world of Dylan Thomas, and experience the magic of his poetry for yourself!

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Dylan Thomas, the Welsh poet, is known for his unique style of writing that captures the essence of life in a way that is both profound and beautiful. His poem, "Poetry Author's Prologue," is a testament to his talent and his love for the art of poetry.

The poem begins with the lines, "In the beginning was the word, / And the word was with God, / And the word was God." These lines are a reference to the opening lines of the Gospel of John in the Bible, which speaks of the creation of the world through the power of the word. Thomas uses this reference to set the tone for his poem, which is a celebration of the power of words and the art of poetry.

Thomas goes on to describe the process of writing poetry, saying that it is a "strange and difficult art." He speaks of the need for the poet to be "a maker and a lover of words," someone who can "wrestle with the angels" and "dance with the devil." This description of the poet as a kind of spiritual warrior is a common theme in Thomas's work, and it speaks to his belief in the power of poetry to transcend the mundane and connect us to something greater.

The poem also touches on the idea of inspiration, which Thomas describes as a kind of divine intervention. He speaks of the poet as a vessel for the muse, saying that "the poem comes from the mountain, / The poem comes from the sea." This idea of the poet as a conduit for something greater than themselves is another common theme in Thomas's work, and it speaks to his belief in the importance of the poet's role in society.

Thomas also speaks of the importance of language in poetry, saying that "the words are the thing." He emphasizes the need for the poet to choose their words carefully, to "weigh them, / Give them their true worth." This emphasis on the importance of language is another hallmark of Thomas's work, and it speaks to his belief in the power of words to shape our understanding of the world.

The poem ends with the lines, "And so, my friends, we are all poets, / Whether we know it or not." This statement speaks to Thomas's belief in the universality of poetry, and his belief that we all have the capacity to create something beautiful with words. It is a fitting end to a poem that celebrates the power of poetry and the art of writing.

Overall, "Poetry Author's Prologue" is a beautiful and profound poem that speaks to the power of words and the importance of poetry in our lives. It is a testament to Dylan Thomas's talent as a writer, and his belief in the transformative power of language. Whether you are a poet or not, this poem is sure to inspire and move you with its beauty and its message.

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