'A Child's Christmas In Wales' by Dylan Thomas
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One Christmas was so much like another, in those years around the sea-town corner now and out of all sound except the distant speaking of the voices I sometimes hear a moment before sleep, that I can never remember whether it snowed for six days and six nights when I was twelve or whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six.
All the Christmases roll down toward the two-tongued sea, like a cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky that was our street; and they stop at the rim of the ice-edged fish-freezing waves, and I plunge my hands in the snow and bring out whatever I can find. In goes my hand into that wool-white bell-tongued ball of holidays resting at the rim of the carol-singing sea, and out come Mrs. Prothero and the firemen.
It was on the afternoon of the Christmas Eve, and I was in Mrs. Prothero's garden, waiting for cats, with her son Jim. It was snowing. It was always snowing at Christmas. December, in my memory, is white as Lapland, though there were no reindeers. But there were cats. Patient, cold and callous, our hands wrapped in socks, we waited to snowball the cats. Sleek and long as jaguars and horrible-whiskered, spitting and snarling, they would slink and sidle over the white back-garden walls, and the lynx-eyed hunters, Jim and I, fur-capped and moccasined trappers from Hudson Bay, off Mumbles Road, would hurl our deadly snowballs at the green of their eyes. The wise cats never appeared.
We were so still, Eskimo-footed arctic marksmen in the muffling silence of the eternal snows - eternal, ever since Wednesday - that we never heard Mrs. Prothero's first cry from her igloo at the bottom of the garden. Or, if we heard it at all, it was, to us, like the far-off challenge of our enemy and prey, the neighbor's polar cat. But soon the voice grew louder.
"Fire!" cried Mrs. Prothero, and she beat the dinner-gong.
And we ran down the garden, with the snowballs in our arms, toward the house; and smoke, indeed, was pouring out of the dining-room, and the gong was bombilating, and Mrs. Prothero was announcing ruin like a town crier in Pompeii. This was better than all the cats in Wales standing on the wall in a row. We bounded into the house, laden with snowballs, and stopped at the open door of the smoke-filled room.
Something was burning all right; perhaps it was Mr. Prothero, who always slept there after midday dinner with a newspaper over his face. But he was standing in the middle of the room, saying, "A fine Christmas!" and smacking at the smoke with a slipper.
"Call the fire brigade," cried Mrs. Prothero as she beat the gong.
"There won't be there," said Mr. Prothero, "it's Christmas."
There was no fire to be seen, only clouds of smoke and Mr. Prothero standing in the middle of them, waving his slipper as though he were conducting.
"Do something," he said. And we threw all our snowballs into the smoke - I think we missed Mr. Prothero - and ran out of the house to the telephone box.
"Let's call the police as well," Jim said. "And the ambulance." "And Ernie Jenkins, he likes fires."
But we only called the fire brigade, and soon the fire engine came and three tall men in helmets brought a hose into the house and Mr. Prothero got out just in time before they turned it on. Nobody could have had a noisier Christmas Eve. And when the firemen turned off the hose and were standing in the wet, smoky room, Jim's Aunt, Miss. Prothero, came downstairs and peered in at them. Jim and I waited, very quietly, to hear what she would say to them. She said the right thing, always. She looked at the three tall firemen in their shining helmets, standing among the smoke and cinders and dissolving snowballs, and she said, "Would you like anything to read?"
Years and years ago, when I was a boy, when there were wolves in Wales, and birds the color of red-flannel petticoats whisked past the harp-shaped hills, when we sang and wallowed all night and day in caves that smelt like Sunday afternoons in damp front farmhouse parlors, and we chased, with the jawbones of deacons, the English and the bears, before the motor car, before the wheel, before the duchess-faced horse, when we rode the daft and happy hills bareback, it snowed and it snowed. But here a small boy says: "It snowed last year, too. I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea."
"But that was not the same snow," I say. "Our snow was not only shaken from white wash buckets down the sky, it came shawling out of the ground and swam and drifted out of the arms and hands and bodies of the trees; snow grew overnight on the roofs of the houses like a pure and grandfather moss, minutely -ivied the walls and settled on the postman, opening the gate, like a dumb, numb thunder-storm of white, torn Christmas cards."
"Were there postmen then, too?"
"With sprinkling eyes and wind-cherried noses, on spread, frozen feet they crunched up to the doors and mittened on them manfully. But all that the children could hear was a ringing of bells."
"You mean that the postman went rat-a-tat-tat and the doors rang?"
"I mean that the bells the children could hear were inside them."
"I only hear thunder sometimes, never bells."
"There were church bells, too."
"Inside them?"
"No, no, no, in the bat-black, snow-white belfries, tugged by bishops and storks. And they rang their tidings over the bandaged town, over the frozen foam of the powder and ice-cream hills, over the crackling sea. It seemed that all the churches boomed for joy under my window; and the weathercocks crew for Christmas, on our fence."
"Get back to the postmen"
"They were just ordinary postmen, found of walking and dogs and Christmas and the snow. They knocked on the doors with blue knuckles ...."
"Ours has got a black knocker...."
"And then they stood on the white Welcome mat in the little, drifted porches and huffed and puffed, making ghosts with their breath, and jogged from foot to foot like small boys wanting to go out."
"And then the presents?"
"And then the Presents, after the Christmas box. And the cold postman, with a rose on his button-nose, tingled down the tea-tray-slithered run of the chilly glinting hill. He went in his ice-bound boots like a man on fishmonger's slabs.
"He wagged his bag like a frozen camel's hump, dizzily turned the corner on one foot, and, by God, he was gone."
"Get back to the Presents."
"There were the Useful Presents: engulfing mufflers of the old coach days, and mittens made for giant sloths; zebra scarfs of a substance like silky gum that could be tug-o'-warred down to the galoshes; blinding tam-o'-shanters like patchwork tea cozies and bunny-suited busbies and balaclavas for victims of head-shrinking tribes; from aunts who always wore wool next to the skin there were mustached and rasping vests that made you wonder why the aunts had any skin left at all; and once I had a little crocheted nose bag from an aunt now, alas, no longer whinnying with us. And pictureless books in which small boys, though warned with quotations not to, would skate on Farmer Giles' pond and did and drowned; and books that told me everything about the wasp, except why."
"Go on the Useless Presents."
"Bags of moist and many-colored jelly babies and a folded flag and a false nose and a tram-conductor's cap and a machine that punched tickets and rang a bell; never a catapult; once, by mistake that no one could explain, a little hatchet; and a celluloid duck that made, when you pressed it, a most unducklike sound, a mewing moo that an ambitious cat might make who wished to be a cow; and a painting book in which I could make the grass, the trees, the sea and the animals any colour I pleased, and still the dazzling sky-blue sheep are grazing in the red field under the rainbow-billed and pea-green birds. Hardboileds, toffee, fudge and allsorts, crunches, cracknels, humbugs, glaciers, marzipan, and butterwelsh for the Welsh. And troops of bright tin soldiers who, if they could not fight, could always run. And Snakes-and-Families and Happy Ladders. And Easy Hobbi-Games for Little Engineers, complete with instructions. Oh, easy for Leonardo! And a whistle to make the dogs bark to wake up the old man next door to make him beat on the wall with his stick to shake our picture off the wall. And a packet of cigarettes: you put one in your mouth and you stood at the corner of the street and you waited for hours, in vain, for an old lady to scold you for smoking a cigarette, and then with a smirk you ate it. And then it was breakfast under the balloons."
"Were there Uncles like in our house?"
"There are always Uncles at Christmas. The same Uncles. And on Christmas morning, with dog-disturbing whistle and sugar fags, I would scour the swatched town for the news of the little world, and find always a dead bird by the Post Office or by the white deserted swings; perhaps a robin, all but one of his fires out. Men and women wading or scooping back from chapel, with taproom noses and wind-bussed cheeks, all albinos, huddles their stiff black jarring feathers against the irreligious snow. Mistletoe hung from the gas brackets in all the front parlors; there was sherry and walnuts and bottled beer and crackers by the dessertspoons; and cats in their fur-abouts watched the fires; and the high-heaped fire spat, all ready for the chestnuts and the mulling pokers. Some few large men sat in the front parlors, without their collars, Uncles almost certainly, trying their new cigars, holding them out judiciously at arms' length, returning them to their mouths, coughing, then holding them out again as though waiting for the explosion; and some few small aunts, not wanted in the kitchen, nor anywhere else for that matter, sat on the very edge of their chairs, poised and brittle, afraid to break, like faded cups and saucers."
Not many those mornings trod the piling streets: an old man always, fawn-bowlered, yellow-gloved and, at this time of year, with spats of snow, would take his constitutional to the white bowling green and back, as he would take it wet or fire on Christmas Day or Doomsday; sometimes two hale young men, with big pipes blazing, no overcoats and wind blown scarfs, would trudge, unspeaking, down to the forlorn sea, to work up an appetite, to blow away the fumes, who knows, to walk into the waves until nothing of them was left but the two furling smoke clouds of their inextinguishable briars. Then I would be slap-dashing home, the gravy smell of the dinners of others, the bird smell, the brandy, the pudding and mince, coiling up to my nostrils, when out of a snow-clogged side lane would come a boy the spit of myself, with a pink-tipped cigarette and the violet past of a black eye, cocky as a bullfinch, leering all to himself.
I hated him on sight and sound, and would be about to put my dog whistle to my lips and blow him off the face of Christmas when suddenly he, with a violet wink, put his whistle to his lips and blew so stridently, so high, so exquisitely loud, that gobbling faces, their cheeks bulged with goose, would press against their tinsled windows, the whole length of the white echoing street. For dinner we had turkey and blazing pudding, and after dinner the Uncles sat in front of the fire, loosened all buttons, put their large moist hands over their watch chains, groaned a little and slept. Mothers, aunts and sisters scuttled to and fro, bearing tureens. Auntie Bessie, who had already been frightened, twice, by a clock-work mouse, whimpered at the sideboard and had some elderberry wine. The dog was sick. Auntie Dosie had to have three aspirins, but Auntie Hannah, who liked port, stood in the middle of the snowbound back yard, singing like a big-bosomed thrush. I would blow up balloons to see how big they would blow up to; and, when they burst, which they all did, the Uncles jumped and rumbled. In the rich and heavy afternoon, the Uncles breathing like dolphins and the snow descending, I would sit among festoons and Chinese lanterns and nibble dates and try to make a model man-o'-war, following the Instructions for Little Engineers, and produce what might be mistaken for a sea-going tramcar.
Or I would go out, my bright new boots squeaking, into the white world, on to the seaward hill, to call on Jim and Dan and Jack and to pad through the still streets, leaving huge footprints on the hidden pavements.
"I bet people will think there's been hippos."
"What would you do if you saw a hippo coming down our street?"
"I'd go like this, bang! I'd throw him over the railings and roll him down the hill and then I'd tickle him under the ear and he'd wag his tail."
"What would you do if you saw two hippos?"
Iron-flanked and bellowing he-hippos clanked and battered through the scudding snow toward us as we passed Mr. Daniel's house.
"Let's post Mr. Daniel a snow-ball through his letter box."
"Let's write things in the snow."
"Let's write, 'Mr. Daniel looks like a spaniel' all over his lawn."
Or we walked on the white shore. "Can the fishes see it's snowing?"
The silent one-clouded heavens drifted on to the sea. Now we were snow-blind travelers lost on the north hills, and vast dewlapped dogs, with flasks round their necks, ambled and shambled up to us, baying "Excelsior." We returned home through the poor streets where only a few children fumbled with bare red fingers in the wheel-rutted snow and cat-called after us, their voices fading away, as we trudged uphill, into the cries of the dock birds and the hooting of ships out in the whirling bay. And then, at tea the recovered Uncles would be jolly; and the ice cake loomed in the center of the table like a marble grave. Auntie Hannah laced her tea with rum, because it was only once a year.
Bring out the tall tales now that we told by the fire as the gaslight bubbled like a diver. Ghosts whooed like owls in the long nights when I dared not look over my shoulder; animals lurked in the cubbyhole under the stairs and the gas meter ticked. And I remember that we went singing carols once, when there wasn't the shaving of a moon to light the flying streets. At the end of a long road was a drive that led to a large house, and we stumbled up the darkness of the drive that night, each one of us afraid, each one holding a stone in his hand in case, and all of us too brave to say a word. The wind through the trees made noises as of old and unpleasant and maybe webfooted men wheezing in caves. We reached the black bulk of the house. "What shall we give them? Hark the Herald?"
"No," Jack said, "Good King Wencelas. I'll count three." One, two three, and we began to sing, our voices high and seemingly distant in the snow-felted darkness round the house that was occupied by nobody we knew. We stood close together, near the dark door. Good King Wencelas looked out On the Feast of Stephen ... And then a small, dry voice, like the voice of someone who has not spoken for a long time, joined our singing: a small, dry, eggshell voice from the other side of the door: a small dry voice through the keyhole. And when we stopped running we were outside our house; the front room was lovely; balloons floated under the hot-water-bottle-gulping gas; everything was good again and shone over the town.
"Perhaps it was a ghost," Jim said.
"Perhaps it was trolls," Dan said, who was always reading.
"Let's go in and see if there's any jelly left," Jack said. And we did that.
Always on Christmas night there was music. An uncle played the fiddle, a cousin sang "Cherry Ripe," and another uncle sang "Drake's Drum." It was very warm in the little house. Auntie Hannah, who had got on to the parsnip wine, sang a song about Bleeding Hearts and Death, and then another in which she said her heart was like a Bird's Nest; and then everybody laughed again; and then I went to bed. Looking through my bedroom window, out into the moonlight and the unending smoke-colored snow, I could see the lights in the windows of all the other houses on our hill and hear the music rising from them up the long, steady falling night. I turned the gas down, I got into bed. I said some words to the close and holy darkness, and then I slept.
Editor 1 Interpretation
A Child's Christmas In Wales: A Delightful Trip Down Memory Lane
As I sat down to read A Child's Christmas In Wales by Dylan Thomas, I couldn't help but feel a sense of childlike wonder and excitement. The title alone evokes memories of glittering snowflakes, warm fires, and the joyous anticipation of Christmas morning. And as I delved into the poem, I was not disappointed.
Thomas's writing is delightful and lyrical, painting vivid images that transport the reader to a simpler, more innocent time. In just a few lines, he captures the essence of childhood magic and wonder, bringing to life the sights, sounds, and smells of a Welsh Christmas. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will explore the themes, stylistic devices, and underlying messages of this timeless classic.
Themes
One of the most prominent themes in A Child's Christmas In Wales is nostalgia. The poem is a recollection of Thomas's childhood memories of Christmas, and he writes with a sense of longing for the innocence and joy of that time. He describes the snow-covered streets, the smell of roasting chestnuts, and the sound of carolers singing in the night. These sensory details evoke a sense of warmth and comfort, and we can feel Thomas's longing to return to that time.
Another theme that runs throughout the poem is family. Thomas writes of his relatives, his uncles and aunts, and the friends and neighbors who gather together to celebrate the holiday. He describes the warmth and love that permeates the home, and the sense of belonging that comes with being surrounded by those we love. This theme is particularly poignant in the final stanza, where Thomas reflects on the passing of time and the loss of loved ones.
Stylistic Devices
Thomas's writing is characterized by its vivid imagery and musicality. He uses a variety of stylistic devices to bring his memories to life and create a sense of rhythm and flow.
One of the most prominent devices is alliteration. Thomas uses repeated consonant sounds to create a sense of musicality and rhythm. For example, in the opening lines, he writes:
"One Christmas was so much like another, in those years around the sea-town corner now and out of all sound except the distant speaking of the voices I sometimes hear a moment before sleep, that I can never remember whether it snowed for six days and six nights when I was twelve or whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six."
The repetition of the "s" sound creates a sense of softness and lullaby-like quality, drawing the reader into the story and creating a sense of calm and comfort.
Another device Thomas uses is metaphor. He compares the snow to "powdered linen" and describes the laughter of his uncles as "like a sudden outbreak of scarlet fever". These metaphors add depth and richness to the imagery, helping the reader to visualize and feel the sensory details of the story.
Underlying Messages
While A Child's Christmas In Wales is primarily a nostalgic recollection of childhood memories, there are underlying messages that add depth and complexity to the poem.
One of these messages is the passing of time and the inevitability of change. Throughout the poem, Thomas reflects on the passing of time and the way in which things change. He describes the different people who have come and gone from his life, and the way in which the holiday traditions have evolved over the years. This sense of impermanence is particularly poignant in the final stanza, where Thomas writes:
"I said some words to the close and holy darkness, and then I slept."
This line captures the sense of finality and acceptance that comes with the passing of time. It reminds us that while the memories of childhood may be cherished, they are ultimately fleeting, and we must learn to let go and move forward.
Another message that runs throughout the poem is the importance of community and connection. Thomas writes of the way in which his family and friends come together to celebrate the holiday, and the sense of belonging and warmth that this brings. This theme is particularly relevant in today's world, where many people feel isolated and disconnected. A Child's Christmas In Wales reminds us of the importance of coming together and building relationships, especially during times of celebration and joy.
Conclusion
A Child's Christmas In Wales is a timeless classic that evokes the magic and wonder of childhood memories. Thomas's writing is lyrical and vivid, painting a picture of a simpler time and a close-knit community. While the poem is primarily a nostalgic recollection of the past, it also carries important messages about the passing of time, the importance of community, and the value of cherishing our memories. As I finished reading the poem, I couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and comfort, and a renewed appreciation for the simple joys of the holiday season.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
A Child's Christmas In Wales: A Timeless Classic
Dylan Thomas' "A Child's Christmas In Wales" is a timeless classic that has captured the hearts of readers for generations. This poem is a nostalgic and heartwarming account of a young boy's memories of Christmas in Wales. The poem is filled with vivid imagery, playful language, and a sense of wonder that transports the reader to a magical time and place.
The poem begins with the narrator's recollection of the snow that fell on Christmas Eve, covering the town in a blanket of white. The snow is described as "deep and crisp and even," and the narrator remembers how he and his friends would slide down the hills on their sleds. This image sets the tone for the poem, creating a sense of joy and excitement that is associated with Christmas.
As the poem progresses, the narrator describes the various traditions and rituals that he and his family would observe on Christmas Day. He recalls the excitement of waking up early to open presents and the smell of the turkey roasting in the oven. He also remembers the various relatives who would come to visit, each with their own unique quirks and personalities.
One of the most memorable characters in the poem is the narrator's Uncle Arnold, who is described as a "fire eater" and a "dragon slayer." Uncle Arnold is a larger-than-life figure who captivates the young boy's imagination with his stories of adventure and heroism. This character adds a sense of whimsy and playfulness to the poem, reminding us of the magic and wonder of childhood.
Another memorable scene in the poem is the narrator's recollection of the Christmas dinner. He describes the table being set with "silver and dishes and the long green bottles of wine." The meal is a lavish affair, with turkey, stuffing, and all the trimmings. The narrator also remembers the various desserts that were served, including "jellies so smooth and creamy, and cakes that were rich and moist."
Throughout the poem, the narrator's language is playful and imaginative. He uses vivid imagery and metaphors to describe the various sights, sounds, and smells of Christmas. For example, he describes the sound of the church bells ringing as "the merry bells, the sweet silver bells," and the smell of the turkey roasting in the oven as "a rich and savory smell that made one's mouth water."
One of the most striking aspects of the poem is its sense of nostalgia. The narrator is looking back on his childhood memories of Christmas, and there is a sense of longing and wistfulness in his words. He describes the various traditions and rituals of Christmas with a sense of reverence and awe, as if they were magical and sacred.
At the same time, there is also a sense of humor and playfulness in the poem. The narrator pokes fun at his relatives and their quirks, and he describes the various mishaps and accidents that occurred during the Christmas celebrations. This combination of nostalgia and humor creates a sense of warmth and intimacy that is both charming and endearing.
In conclusion, "A Child's Christmas In Wales" is a timeless classic that captures the magic and wonder of Christmas through the eyes of a young boy. The poem is filled with vivid imagery, playful language, and a sense of nostalgia that transports the reader to a magical time and place. It is a celebration of family, tradition, and the joy of childhood, and it reminds us of the importance of cherishing our memories and traditions. Dylan Thomas' poem is a true masterpiece, and it will continue to enchant and delight readers for generations to come.
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