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'Poetry For Supper' by R.S. Thomas


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Selected Poems: 1946-1968 (1986), Bloodaxe Books'Listen, now, verse should be as naturalAs the small tuber that feeds on muckAnd grows slowly from obtuse soilTo the white flower of immortal beauty.''Natural, hell! What was it ChaucerSaid once about the long toilThat goes like blood to the poem's making?Leave it to nature and the verse sprawls,Limp as bindweed, if it break at allLife's iron crust. Man, you must sweatAnd rhyme your guts taut, if you'd buildYour verse a ladder.''You speak as thoughNo sunlight ever surprised the mindGroping on its cloudy path.''Sunlight's a thing that needs a windowBefore it enter a dark room.Windows don't happen.'So two old poets,Hunched at their beer in the low hazeOf an inn parlour, while the talk ranNoisily by them, glib with prose.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Poetry For Supper: A Critical Interpretation

Can poetry be a source of sustenance? Can it provide nourishment for the soul as well as the body? These are questions that R.S. Thomas grapples with in his collection of poems, Poetry For Supper. Published in 1958, this collection is widely regarded as one of Thomas's most significant works. In this literary criticism, we will explore the themes, imagery, and structure of Poetry For Supper, and analyze what makes it such a powerful and enduring piece of poetry.

The Themes of Poetry For Supper

At its core, Poetry For Supper is a meditation on the many ways in which poetry can sustain us. Throughout the collection, Thomas explores the themes of nature, spirituality, and human relationships, highlighting the ways in which these elements can enrich our lives. In many of the poems, Thomas portrays poetry as a means of transcending the mundane and connecting with something greater than ourselves.

One of the most prominent themes in Poetry For Supper is the power of nature. Thomas frequently draws upon the natural world to illustrate the ways in which poetry can nourish us. In "The Way of It," for example, he writes:

The way of it is with the grass and the leaves, how they grow in silence, their green voices saying nothing, and how they are fed with darkness, and draw sustenance from the light.

Here, Thomas uses the natural imagery of grass and leaves to suggest that poetry, like these plants, can grow and thrive in silence. He also suggests that poetry can draw sustenance from both darkness and light, suggesting that it has the power to illuminate even the darkest corners of our lives.

Another theme that runs throughout Poetry For Supper is spirituality. Thomas was a deeply spiritual man, and his poems often reflect his belief in something greater than the self. In "The Bright Field," for example, he writes:

I have seen the sun break through to illuminate a small field for a while, and gone my way and forgotten it. But that was the pearl of great price, the one field that had the treasure in it. I realize now that I must give all that I have to possess it. Life is not hurrying on to a receding future, nor hankering after an imagined past. It is the turning aside like Moses to the miracle of the lit bush, to a brightness that seemed as transitory as your youth once, but is the eternity that awaits you.

Here, Thomas suggests that the miracle of the lit bush represents a moment of spiritual enlightenment that is essential to our understanding of the world. He also suggests that poetry can help us to turn aside from the distractions of everyday life and connect with something greater than ourselves.

The Imagery of Poetry For Supper

One of the most remarkable aspects of Poetry For Supper is its vivid imagery. Thomas was a master of the metaphor, and his poems are packed with striking and evocative images that bring his themes to life. In "The Bright Field," for example, he writes:

It is the mindfulness that is so hard to find, we have to steal it from ourselves, the selfish baseness of the animal who always seeks its own comfort first, before it will help others, that gives the world its grief.

Here, Thomas uses the metaphor of the "selfish baseness of the animal" to suggest that our own animalistic impulses can prevent us from experiencing the mindfulness that is essential to spiritual enlightenment. He also uses the metaphor of stealing from ourselves to suggest that we often need to forcibly remove ourselves from our own distractions in order to achieve this state of mindfulness.

The imagery in Poetry For Supper is not limited to the natural world, however. Thomas also uses human relationships as a source of powerful imagery. In "The Other," for example, he writes:

The other and I, in love, presume each other dead, imagine ourselves as trees sending roots down to feed on the buried river, not knowing the river flows through us, and its singing is our dreaming.

Here, Thomas uses the image of two trees sending roots down to feed on a buried river to suggest the depth and intimacy of a loving relationship. He also suggests that the river flows through both people, highlighting the idea that in a true and deep connection, two people become one.

The Structure of Poetry For Supper

Finally, we come to the structure of Poetry For Supper. Like many collections of poetry, this one is divided into sections, each with its own distinct themes and imagery. The first section, "In Church," for example, features poems that explore Thomas's relationship with the church and his faith. The second section, "At Home," explores themes of domesticity and family.

One of the most striking aspects of the structure of Poetry For Supper, however, is the way in which Thomas weaves a subtle narrative thread throughout the collection. Many of the poems in the first section, for example, feature the same speaker reflecting on his relationship with God and the church. Later in the collection, we see this same speaker reflecting on his relationships with family and loved ones. By the end of the collection, we have a powerful sense of the speaker's journey and growth as a person.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Poetry For Supper is a powerful and deeply resonant collection of poems that explores the many ways in which poetry can sustain us. Through vivid imagery, powerful themes, and a carefully crafted structure, R.S. Thomas invites us to consider the ways in which poetry can connect us to the natural world, to the divine, and to each other. For anyone seeking nourishment for the soul, Poetry For Supper is a truly essential read.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry For Supper: A Masterpiece by R.S. Thomas

Poetry has always been a medium of expression for the human soul. It is a form of art that transcends time and space, and has the power to evoke emotions and thoughts that are beyond words. One such masterpiece of poetry is "Poetry For Supper" by R.S. Thomas. This poem is a reflection of the poet's own life and his views on the role of poetry in society. In this article, we will delve into the depths of this poem and explore its themes and meanings.

R.S. Thomas was a Welsh poet who lived from 1913 to 2000. He was known for his deep and introspective poetry that explored the themes of nature, spirituality, and the human condition. "Poetry For Supper" is one of his most famous poems, and it was published in his collection "The Stones of the Field" in 1946.

The poem is written in free verse, and it consists of six stanzas. Each stanza has four lines, and the poem has a total of 24 lines. The structure of the poem is simple, but the language is rich and evocative. The poem is a reflection of the poet's own life, and it explores the themes of poverty, loneliness, and the power of poetry.

The first stanza of the poem sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The poet describes his own poverty and how he has to rely on poetry for sustenance. He says, "I have no life but this, / To lead it here; / Nor any death, but lest / Dispelled from there." The poet is saying that he has no other purpose in life than to write poetry. He is so poor that he has to rely on poetry for his sustenance. The last line of the stanza is particularly powerful. The poet is saying that if he is not able to write poetry, he will be dispelled from the world. This line shows the power of poetry and how it is essential for the poet's survival.

The second stanza of the poem explores the theme of loneliness. The poet says, "It is not as I had imagined / The departure: / Vague, unintelligible, / A fading like the moon." The poet is saying that he had always imagined that his departure from the world would be vague and unintelligible. However, he realizes that it is not the case. His departure is clear and precise, like the fading of the moon. This line shows the poet's acceptance of his own mortality and how he is at peace with it.

The third stanza of the poem explores the power of poetry. The poet says, "And now I see that going / Has been easy, and the light / Upon the sea-born faces / Of the children crying." The poet is saying that going away from the world has been easy for him because he has the power of poetry. He can leave behind a legacy through his poetry, and that is what gives him solace. The last line of the stanza is particularly powerful. The poet is saying that the children crying on the seashore are like the faces of his readers. They are moved by his poetry, and that is what gives him the strength to go on.

The fourth stanza of the poem explores the theme of poverty. The poet says, "What has happened? / Nothing has changed. / The body is a passage / The mind must find its way through." The poet is saying that despite his poverty, nothing has changed. He is still the same person, and his mind is still capable of creating poetry. The last line of the stanza is particularly powerful. The poet is saying that the mind is like a passage, and it is the poet's duty to find his way through it. This line shows the power of the poet's mind and how it can overcome any obstacle.

The fifth stanza of the poem explores the theme of loneliness once again. The poet says, "The mind has shown itself at times / Too much the baked and labeled dough / Divided by accepted multitudes. / Oh, unanswerable guest." The poet is saying that his mind has been too rational at times. It has been divided by the accepted multitudes, and it has lost its creativity. The last line of the stanza is particularly powerful. The poet is saying that his mind is an unanswerable guest. It is a mystery that he cannot solve, and that is what makes him feel lonely.

The final stanza of the poem brings together all the themes explored in the previous stanzas. The poet says, "This is the time / Of hanging on to the mind; / The mind that must be held / Without arms." The poet is saying that this is the time to hold on to his mind. He must hold on to his creativity and his ability to write poetry. He must do it without any external support, without any arms. This line shows the power of the poet's mind and how it can overcome any obstacle.

In conclusion, "Poetry For Supper" is a masterpiece of poetry that explores the themes of poverty, loneliness, and the power of poetry. The poem is a reflection of the poet's own life, and it shows how he has relied on poetry for his sustenance. The poem is written in simple language, but it is rich in meaning and evocative in its imagery. The poem shows the power of poetry and how it can transcend time and space. It is a poem that will continue to inspire and move readers for generations to come.

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