Dylan Thomas was inspired by Mother Goose poems to start writing poetry. Though he couldn’t read then because he was too young to do so, the musical flow of ‘words’ mesmerized him. He could feel the words and that’s probably what made him begin to appreciate poetry.
Sickly Dylan Thomas, of affluent means, did not go to school because the asthma that he suffered from prevented him from taking part in active activities in school. He preferred to stay home and read; and be cosseted, pampered and indulged. When he did finally go to school, it was the ‘friendly neighborhood school’ type of institution where the group was small and the students treated with kindness and gentleness. When World War II rolled round, he was considered too frail to be recruited and was placed in the C-3 category. Individuals in that category would only be called up ‘if and when required’; meaning if there were to occur a shortage of able-bodied men. Thomas therefore served the cause by writing scripts for the government for radio plays and films that were made to boost morale.
Thomas was an unremarkable student, even though he managed to have his first poem published in the school magazine. Similarly, his career too remained undistinguished. He became a journalist, couldn’t handle the pressure and resigned. He spent his time going to the cinema, visiting pubs and generally indulging himself. He contributed to newspapers and publications as a freelance writer and poet, but nothing remarkable emerged from his work. Visiting pubs turned him into a drunkard and finally into an alcoholic and surprisingly, he was rather proud of this habit he had acquired and nursed to perfection. He finally died dead drunk, sinking into an alcohol induced coma frm which he never woke.
In later years, in 1934 to be more precise, Thomas’ work was printed in the Listener. It caught the attention of the famous poets of the time, T.S. Elliott and Stephen Spender. Thomas had finally been recognized and acknowledged, much to his joy. Modernism espoused a ‘choppy’ verse style; many grew fed up with it because it did not conjure up fascinating visual images. By contrast, Dylan Thomas’ work was passionate; it was lyrical and melodious and most of all, his verse was lyrical. Thomas himself was his own greatest promoter, because he recited his work with such a sonorous style that it moved the audience no end. That too contributed to the beauty of his work.
Aside from poetry, his most well-known work is the play ‘Under Milkwood’. BBC commissioned him to write the play for the radio, and was determined to have it done. To ensure the completion of the project, they put their producer Stella Hillier in charge of him to get the work done. Hillier often had to virtually physically drag him out of the pubs and into her office and set him to work. Despite that, the play was many years in the writing. The play was finally completed in 1953, when he went to the USA. He died before the play could be recorded. But when it was recorded, the talented Richard Burton played the lead role. Sometime later the play was adapted for the cinema. And this time, Elizabeth Taylor too joined the cast.
Dylan Thomas will always be remembered for his verse form which is well-ordered and patterned. In this he is highly influenced by biology because he felt biology displayed ‘…unity in diversity…’ in the cycle of life. His work is also influenced by Welsh folklore, Biblical tales and by Freud. His poem, Fern Hill, is probably the most lyrical of his works, while Do not go gentle into that good night, that he wrote on the passing away of his father, is probably the most poignant. His work Deaths and Entrances, capitulated him into the world of recognized poets of his time.
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