Poem in October by Thomas
♦Discuss Dylan Thomas’ sacramental
view of nature and therefore the theme of remembered childhood.
♦Critical Appreciation with clear Concept
October stands between summer and winter; thirty is poised between childhood and maturity. The poise between childish glory and therefore the sadness of maturity, summer and winter, past and future is maintained to the top.The lyric ‘Poem in October’, written to celebrate the thirtieth birthday of the poet, is an effort to remember the sweet memories, innocence, and glorious vision of childhood
The poet says that life may be a journey towards heaven and today he has passed thirty years in his pilgrimage to heaven. On his birthday early in the morning, he leaves Laugharne and therefore the scene is so holy that the water seems to be praying while the herons are transformed into priests and praying silently for him.
The heron, the seagull the rook, and other birds celebrate his birthday, fluttering from the branches of the trees. Thousands of those birds fly over the ocean and farms and that they see to be waving flags welcoming the poet on his thirtieth birthday.The poet is walking along the seashore of Laugharne, the fishing village early in the morning within the autumn drizzle and therefore the town remains sleeping. The poet imagines that it’s high water in his life because the age of thirty is that the time of maturity in his life.
The heron dived into the ocean and therefore the poet dives into his dream world of childhood days. When the town of Laugharne awakened, the poet crossed the border of reality and climbed up the Fern Hill of Swansea, where he spent his childhood days within the farm of his aunt.
The autumn season becomes summer and spring. The poet experiences summer weather in autumn and thousands of larks fly within the blue on the highest of Fern Hill.
Suddenly the poet remembers the childhood summers. he’s standing on the highest of Fern Hill where his auntie’s farm is situated. He spent his childhood holidays among the apple trees, the barns, the white horses, the hayricks and he was ‘the prince of apple towns’. Now the kid within the poet is looking down into the Laugharne town where cold rain was falling within the autumn season. The wood, the harbor, the ocean, and therefore the church are wet with the cold rain of autumn. The church is wet within the autumn drizzle.
The town with its church is way away. The church seems like a snail With its horns through mist and chateau as brown as owls. But here within Fern Hill, beautiful climate rules. Here is usually spring and summer. In his imagination, the seasons are all intermingled and past and present scenes merge. On his thirtieth birthday, the poet once more becomes a little boy in Fern Hill and plays with Nature. Apple trees, pears, and red currants are his friends.
He remembers those days when he walked together with his mother enjoying the daylight. it had been like enjoying the parables within the Bible. When he walked along the woods together with his mother enjoying the silent great thing about nature, it had been like reading the lives of saints and therefore the sunlight taught him the glory of God. His walk along the woods was a sort of prayer within the church.
Thus the poet learns that Nature is the reflection of God’s glory and wonder. He learned this truth first in his childhood days and now in his adult life.The poet refers to his childhood which is not anymore. The poet is extremely sad that his childhood days are gone forever and people’s days will never come to him.His tears rolled through his cheeks. Those days were the fantastic days in his life when “he was prince within the apple towns and honored among wagons” of his auntie’s farm at Fern Hill. He walked together with his mother within the woods, along the riverside and talked with the trees and birds, and played with the pebbles and therefore the waves of the ocean.
The past and present are intermingled here which adds to the sweetness of the poem. The tears of the kid burned the cheeks of the poet and his heart merged into the poet. Thus the poet even in his thirtieth age identifies himself together with his childhood days. His innocent childish mind isn’t yet changed. that’s why the poet can enjoy the sweetness and glory of nature even now. When he stands at the highest of Fern Hill, he can see far below at Laugharne, ripe leaves are being shed by trees in autumn.
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