'Elegy' by Dylan Thomas
AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay
Too proud to die; broken and blind he died
The darkest way, and did not turn away,
A cold kind man brave in his narrow pride
On that darkest day. Oh, forever may
He lie lightly, at last, on the last, crossed
Hill, under the grass, in love, and there grow
Young among the long flocks, and never lie lost
Or still all the numberless days of his death, though
Above all he longed for his mother's breast
Which was rest and dust, and in the kind ground
The darkest justice of death, blind and unblessed.
Let him find no rest but be fathered and found,
I prayed in the crouching room, by his blind bed,
In the muted house, one minute before
Noon, and night, and light. The rivers of the dead
Veined his poor hand I held, and I saw
Through his unseeing eyes to the roots of the sea.
(An old tormented man three-quarters blind,
I am not too proud to cry that He and he
Will never never go out of my mind.
All his bones crying, and poor in all but pain,
Being innocent, he dreaded that he died
Hating his God, but what he was was plain:
An old kind man brave in his burning pride.
The sticks of the house were his; his books he owned.
Even as a baby he had never cried;
Nor did he now, save to his secret wound.
Out of his eyes I saw the last light glide.
Here among the light of the lording sky
An old blind man is with me where I go
Walking in the meadows of his son's eye
On whom a world of ills came down like snow.
He cried as he died, fearing at last the spheres'
Last sound, the world going out without a breath:
Too proud to cry, too frail to check the tears,
And caught between two nights, blindness and death.
O deepest wound of all that he should die
On that darkest day. Oh, he could hide
The tears out of his eyes, too proud to cry.
Anonymous submission.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Elegy by Dylan Thomas: A Masterpiece of Evocative Language and Emotional Depth
When it comes to elegies, few poems can match the sheer power and beauty of Dylan Thomas's "Elegy." Written in memory of his friend and fellow poet, W.S. Merwin, this poem captures the heart-wrenching sadness and intense emotions that come with facing death and loss. From the opening lines to the final stanza, Thomas's language is evocative, mysterious, and deeply moving. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will take a closer look at the themes, imagery, and structure of this poem, and explore what makes it so enduring and powerful.
Background and Context
Before we dive into the poem itself, it's worth taking a moment to explore the background and context in which "Elegy" was written. Dylan Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer who rose to fame in the mid-20th century, known for his vivid and lyrical style. He was also known for his heavy drinking and tumultuous personal life, which may have contributed to his early death at the age of 39. "Elegy" was written in 1967, shortly after the death of W.S. Merwin, a fellow poet and friend of Thomas's. Merwin was known for his own poetry, as well as his translations of Japanese and other Asian literature. His death was a significant loss to the literary world, and Thomas's elegy reflects this deep sense of sorrow and mourning.
Themes and Motifs
At its core, "Elegy" is a meditation on mortality and loss. The poem grapples with the idea of death and the ways in which we try to come to terms with it. Throughout the poem, Thomas uses a series of motifs and symbols to explore these themes in depth.
One of the central motifs of the poem is water. From the opening lines, we are immersed in a world of water imagery:
In the ships, in the tides, in the hands of the man
In the white wake of the daydreams, that fade
and fly.
Here, the water serves as a symbol of the passage of time and the inevitability of change. The tides rise and fall, the ships sail on, and the daydreams fade. This sense of transience is echoed throughout the poem, as Thomas contemplates the ephemerality of life and the inevitability of death.
Another key motif in the poem is the idea of dreams and memory. Thomas writes:
In the sleep of the living, in the life of
the dead, and in the heart of the child
Alice.
Here, he suggests that our memories and dreams are what connect us to the dead, and that these memories are a way of keeping the dead alive in our hearts. This theme is particularly poignant in the final stanza, where Thomas writes:
Now that I come to die,
Do not weep for me,
But sing me sound and raise your
arms in farewell.
Here, the speaker seems to be asking for a celebration of his life, rather than a mourning of his death. This idea is echoed earlier in the poem, where Thomas writes:
After the first death, there is no other.
In other words, once we have faced death and loss, we are forever changed, and must find a way to move on and celebrate life, even in the face of sorrow.
Structure and Form
One of the most striking things about "Elegy" is its unusual structure and form. The poem is made up of twelve quatrains, or four-line stanzas, each with its own distinct rhythm and rhyme scheme. The lines are often broken in unusual places, creating a sense of fragmentation and disjointedness. This structure reflects the fragmented nature of memory and the way in which grief can disrupt our sense of time and space.
At the same time, the poem is also highly structured and patterned. Each stanza follows the same basic rhyme scheme, with the second and fourth lines rhyming, and the first and third lines echoing each other in sound and rhythm. This creates a sense of unity and coherence, even as the poem moves through different moods and images.
Language and Imagery
Of course, one of the most striking aspects of "Elegy" is its language and imagery. Throughout the poem, Thomas uses a rich and evocative language to convey the intense emotions and complex ideas he is exploring. He uses a wide range of poetic devices, including metaphors, similes, and personification, to create a vivid and memorable portrait of grief and loss.
For example, in the third stanza, he writes:
They will remember earth with sores
they came from, to this earth returned.
Here, the use of the word "sores" to describe the earth creates a powerful image of pain and suffering. The idea that we come from the earth and return to it is also a powerful metaphor for the cycle of life and death.
Similarly, in the eighth stanza, Thomas writes:
The sky is torn across
This ragged anniversary of two
Who moved for three years in tune
Down the long walks of their vows.
Here, the use of the word "torn" to describe the sky creates a sense of violence and rupture, echoing the sense of loss and pain that permeates the poem. The idea of the two lovers moving "in tune" down the long walks of their vows is also a powerful and evocative image, suggesting the deep bond and intimacy that existed between them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "Elegy" is a masterpiece of evocative language and emotional depth. Through its exploration of themes such as mortality, memory, and loss, it captures the essence of what it means to grieve and to face the inevitable fact of our own mortality. With its unusual structure and form, rich language and imagery, and profound emotional resonance, this poem is a testament to Dylan Thomas's skill and artistry as a poet. Whether we are facing our own mortality, or mourning the loss of someone we love, "Elegy" offers a powerful and moving meditation on the human condition, and a reminder that even in the face of loss, life is still worth celebrating.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Elegy Written by Dylan Thomas: A Masterpiece of Poetic Expression
Dylan Thomas, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, is known for his unique style of writing that blends vivid imagery, musicality, and a deep sense of spirituality. His poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" is a prime example of his poetic genius, as it captures the essence of life and death in a way that is both haunting and beautiful.
The poem, which was written in 1945, is a tribute to Thomas's friend and fellow poet, Edward Thomas, who died in World War I. It is a meditation on the transience of life and the inevitability of death, as well as a celebration of the beauty and mystery of the natural world.
The poem begins with a description of a country churchyard, where the speaker is walking at dusk. The imagery is vivid and evocative, as Thomas describes the "curved hill's shoulder" and the "dewfall-hawk" that "falconed the fields". The speaker is struck by the beauty of the scene, but also by its melancholy, as he contemplates the graves of those who have passed away.
As the poem progresses, the speaker reflects on the lives of those buried in the churchyard, imagining their joys and sorrows, their loves and losses. He speaks of the "lovers long parted" and the "children who mourned". He also reflects on the passing of time, and the way that the memories of the dead are gradually erased by the march of history.
But despite the sadness and loss that permeate the poem, there is also a sense of hope and renewal. The speaker notes that even though the dead are gone, their spirits live on in the natural world around them. He speaks of the "nightingale's song" and the "blossom on the bough", and suggests that these are the echoes of the lives that have passed away.
The poem ends with a powerful affirmation of the beauty and mystery of life, even in the face of death. The speaker declares that "the hand that signed the paper felled a city", but also that "the living hand can heal". He suggests that even though death is inevitable, life is still worth living, and that we should cherish every moment we have.
Overall, "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" is a masterpiece of poetic expression. It captures the essence of life and death in a way that is both haunting and beautiful, and it reminds us of the power of poetry to help us make sense of the world around us. Dylan Thomas's unique style of writing, with its blend of vivid imagery, musicality, and spirituality, is on full display here, and it is a testament to his enduring legacy as one of the greatest poets of the 20th century.
Editor Recommended Sites
Best Adventure Games - Highest Rated Adventure Games - Top Adventure Games: Highest rated adventure game reviewsData Quality: Cloud data quality testing, measuring how useful data is for ML training, or making sure every record is counted in data migration
Cloud Governance - GCP Cloud Covernance Frameworks & Cloud Governance Software: Best practice and tooling around Cloud Governance
Control Tower - GCP Cloud Resource management & Centralize multicloud resource management: Manage all cloud resources across accounts from a centralized control plane
ML Education: Machine learning education tutorials. Free online courses for machine learning, large language model courses
Recommended Similar Analysis
Poems Of Joys by Walt Whitman analysisWisdom by William Butler Yeats analysis
Reading The Brothers Grimm To Jenny by Lisel Mueller analysis
The Assignation by Edgar Allen Poe analysis
Villanelle : The Psychological Hour by Ezra Pound analysis
Red Maples by Sarah Teasdale analysis
The Lady Of Shalott by Alfred Lord Tennyson analysis
Heaven is what I cannot reach! by Emily Dickinson analysis
An Essay on Criticism by Alexander Pope analysis
A Little Budding Rose by Emily Jane Brontë analysis