poem in october analysis poem in october analysis

This is the type of spiritual connection that the speaker began to value less as he grew older. It is now referred to as Pale and is said to be looming over the dwindling harbour. He resumes his ascent of the slope. The mystery was sung over the world. A number of other images follow in Poem in October. The season is rich, and although it is autumn he sees, Cloud and the roadside bushes brimming with whistling. There are red currants and green chapels. Everything was vivid and pure. walkabroad. He also discusses how his actions affect the environment around him. Another essential characteristic of old Welsh poetry that Thomas seemed to incorporate was a recognition of realitys dual nature, of unity in disunity, of the simultaneity of life and death, and of time as an illusion. It is a tall tale, or a falsehood, rather than a real site he may visit. Thomas's Legacy It is at the end of these lines that the speaker declares he set foot in that moment. The town was still sleeping but as has been made abundantly clear, the rest of the world is not. As he says, And the birds of the winged, flying my name. They all seem to be centered around him, flying his name around the surrounding farms and the white horses. It is interesting that the speaker chose to introduce the farmland and the horses at this point. The others are Especially When the October Wind (for his twentieth birthday), Twenty-Four Years (for his twenty-fourth birthday), and Poem on His Birthday (to commemorate his thirty-fifth birthday). When he looks around him he can see all the wonders of summer. The world sang with the mystery.this is oftena sortof spiritual connection that the speaker stopped valuing as he aged. He might hear the noises of rustling leaves or small animals running and walking from there. Her one-of-a-kind, Read More Success is Counted Sweetest by Emily Dickinson Summary, Analysis and ThemesContinue. That little town where the poet was born still has the beauty of birds and the sound of high tide and also the birds diving in the water. The wind and rain are present, under him, butalso arefar away fromhim. The poem Storm on the Island written in 1966 by an Irish poet Seamus Heaney is a dramatic monologue about storms and their effects from the perspective of a villager on a remote island, most likely in the Irish Atlantic. Autumn and its cold air moved away, giving way to summer. He uses alliteration, for example, in the second line of the fourth stanza when he writes And over the sea wet church the size of a snail. When one looks at the lines on the page, this is a feature that stands out. Poem Summary and Analysis of Dylan Thomas's "Poem in October" Supriya Maity February 6, 2020 It is the poet's thirtieth birthday. The white horses could also allude to the waves themselves. The speaker is consumed bythe enjoymentof the day, whichis merelyenhanced bythe sweetnessof the landscape. Right from the first stanza, hearing is privileged over sight and the other senses by Thomas. In accordance with the mood of the entire poem, he has let the long dead child speak at the close. The poem's speaker, celebrating his 30th birthday on a soft October morning in the countryside, climbs a hill to admire the viewand finds himself transported back into his childhood by an unexpected rush of sunlight. Every single person that visits Poem Analysis has helped contribute, so thank you for your support. The shore was Priested by herons, he said. Visit the website of the Dylan Thomas Centre to learn about Thomas's enduring influence. An aside is a dramatic device that is used within plays to help characters express their inner thoughts. Poem in October Analysis of Poem in October Stanza One In the first stanza of 'Poem in October' the speaker begins by stating that he was thirty years old. October Robert Frost October Robert Frost 18-page comprehensive study guide Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions Access Full GuideDownloadSave Featured Collections Short Poems School Book List Titles American Literature Summary The last lines of stanza five speak on how onCapitol Hillhe could marvel at the weather but, as soon as he got up there it beganto maneuveroff. He wantedto formthe wholeworld seem alive and relatable to the reader. The poem can also be considered as part of a long tradition of English poetry (seen in works like as Henry Vaughans Regeneration and Wordsworths Ode on the Intimations of Immortality) that places a reflection of mans moods in a pastoral setting (Davies: 52). He expandsthis conceptbyaboutthe sun of October as Summery, or like summer. He recalls all the times he is been here as a child. Given the volumes abundance of death and general tone of sadness, the poem concludes on a hopeful note regarding the poets function in such a situation: O may my hearts truthStill be sungOn this high hill in a years turning.. Indirectly poet compared his present city full of frustration, weariness, boredom with peaceful village life. The poem is focused on being in several realms, with the sea imagery serving as the primary support. What is unclear at this moment is where the speaker is going. It was his birthday and he chose to go on a walk. Through these lines the speaker is making clear that although he has returned to this place and is again experiencing joy, it is nothing compared to the truth ofjoy he knew during the Summertime of his youth. He considers himself to be so dissimilar to the boy that they are two distinct individuals. He walks through the town very early in the morning while its other inhabitants are still asleep heading for the hill. He knew so well the. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. They are everywhere, lording over a territory that has a spiritual character because to Thomas use of the word priested rather than another word like ruled.. He remembers it now and sees it being contained specifically within the water and singing birds. While meditating on the changes they havecome acrossthe personsince his youth, the linesarentin the leastdepressing in tone. . They all appear to be focused on him, flying his name around the neighbouring farms and white horses. It is interesting that the speaker picked this period to mention the fields and horses. They are as upbeat and joyous as the ones before them. Through parables, the speaker said. At the same time, the image of the sea (which is essential to many of Thomass great poems) is a non-location redolent of margins, swamping, self-loss, and erasure, according to Goodby (Goodby and Wigginton: 200). publication online or last modification online. One such example is with the words heron and beckon in the first stanza. When the birds fly over the water in a large number singing, the poet feels as if they all are flying his name in the air. In his "Poem in October" Dylan Thomas describes in great detail his thirtieth birthday, which he celebrates in his hometown of Swansea, Wales, a small fishing village. Read Analysis Cite Sylvia Plath Nationality: America Although Sylvia Plath was succeeding poetically, she was still deeply unhappy. These noises are agreeable to the ear of the speaker. The scene, like many of those to follow, is overwhelming. It was his birthday, so he decided to go for a walk. He is far beyond the boundaries of the town now and has stepped into his own nature-inspired dream. He gets farther and farther from the boats and dock where he began. Poem in October The poem begins with the narrator talking about how he woke up on the morning of his 13th birthday and left the house to take a walk. Good Study is the worlds biggest site for perusers and book suggestions. Just like the morning, the water is personified in the next lines. The dead of his past, the summer days he can no longer access, remind him of his life and his relationship with the world. There are red currants and green chapels. Everything was vivid and pure. "Poem in October" Summary "Poem in October" Themes The Rhythm of Life and the Beauty of Aging Where this theme appears in the poem: Lines 1-70 Humanity, Nature, and Spirituality Where this theme appears in the poem: Lines 1-70 Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of "Poem in October" Lines 1-4 It was my . The use of the word faraway is interesting in these lines. He speaks of a border hehas got tocross and gates hehas got toopen. There are moments of assonance, or rhymes that rely on vowel sounds, in these words that rely on consonants to rhyme. He sang the peoples songs, upheld their basic traditions, and kept poetry and music alive and personally significant. He had, as a child, loved nature and even talked with its various elements. Read More Stanza-wise Summary of Stopping by Woods on a Snowy EveningContinue, The Deserted Village: Sum and Substance and Questions and Answers, The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes - Summary, Critical Analysis, Themes, Tone and Solved Questions, Success is Counted Sweetest by Emily Dickinson Summary, Analysis and Themes, Storm on the Island Summary, Analysis, Solved Questions and Critical Appreciation, To a Shade Summary, Analysis and Question Answers, Song: To Celia Or Drink to me only with thine eyes: Summary and Questions, River Once By Parthasarathy Summary, Explanation , Analysis, Stanza-wise Summary of Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Poem in October by Dylan Thomas Study Guide, Daffodils Critical Appreciation In 500 Words. publication in traditional print. He found out early that he hated academics, although he regretted it later. Thomas on Art . The poet highlights the natural change at . He recalls it now and sees it specifically inside the water and singingbirds. The sentences are not dismal in tone while reflecting on the changes that have occurred in the man since his childhood. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The goal of the adult poet is to keep the summit in sight. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Accessed 1 May 2023. Ackerman cites three ways in which his Welsh heritage influenced his poetry. The song he used to sings is dead. The poem starts with the speaker standing in the woods. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem. These are stories with a moral or spiritual underpinning. - All Poetry Poem In October It was my thirtieth year to heaven Woke to my hearing from harbour and neighbour wood And the mussel pooled and the heron Priested shore The morning beckon With water praying and call of seagull and rook And the knock of sailing boats on the net webbed wall It is referred to as praying. As if kneeling in prayer, the waves dip and rise. As a poet of the modernist era, Thomas was aware of the effects of the so-called progress from agriculture to industry, from rural to urban areas. Log in here. Watchto find outmore This poem explanation would be incomplete if no mention were made of Thomass intentional lack of punctuation. He was far above the cold of October, and he became obsessed with boyhood recollections. John Keats Analysis. It celebrates the life of flora and fauna during this month that explodes with color and activity as the. It takes a melancholy tone and can be interpreted in different ways. Poet has presented his sweet past memories of the village where he passed his childhood. The final line is a universal prayer for favor and continuance from the forces of the universe. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Describe the experience embodied in "Poem in October.". In the next lines, the water is personified in the same way that the sunrise is. Summary of the Poem Dylan Thomas' poem 'Poem in October' describes a speaker's trek out of autumn and up a hill to recapture childhood delight, the summer season, and his spirituality. The town shrank as he soared. How my senses have ached at it! eNotes.com, Inc. The last ten lines of Poem in Octoberdepict how the joy of his childhood returned to him on this thirtieth birthday and what that meant to the speaker. Autumn, and its cool air, faded away and the summer returned. 37Beyond the border and under the lark full cloud. In this regard, the figure of the Bard becomes significant, especially when one considers that when Thomas went to his first public reading in the United States of America, he was introduced as having come out of the druidical mists of Wales (Davies: 96). This is how he hopes to keep countering the aging process again and again by returning to childhood, to innocence, to nature. He remembers the mornings he came toan equivalenthilltogether with hismother. The speaker walked through parables. These are stories that have an underlying moral or spiritual lesson. He would like to keep away from the city life. It is a place in which he can marvel over the gardens of spring and summer. Just as he is getting up the waves crash and the heron dived into the sea. Because Thomas sees the child as more organically connected to nature and its cyclical processes, the poem revolves around the childs delight and joy in a natural setting. The images of the poppies, the clouds, and the bleeding woman all evoke beauty and color in unexpected places. "Poem in October" is Welsh poet Dylan Thomas's ecstatic reflection on the rhythms of life. Poem In October Analysis Author: Poetry of Dylan Thomas Type: Poetry Views: 4030 Roleplay | Writing Forum | Viral news today | Music Theory It was my thirtieth year to heaven Woke to my hearing from harbour and neighbour woodAnd the mussel pooled and the heronPriested shoreThe morning beckon With water praying and call of seagull and rook About childhood, he remembers it as a time characterised by the hearing of various tales and legends. Themes: This part of the poem analysis focuses on three themes the primacy of sound, childhood as a time of innocence, and alienation in adulthood. The way the content is organized. Of course, it is not rational to talk to a non-human subject, but he does so anyway. We respond to all comments too, giving you the answers you need. The sceneries and imagery, as well as the hallucinatory effect of the visions he inspires in his poetry, appear to approach surrealism, which is more linked with modernist writers imaginative and psychological studies. Make sure you likeBeamingnotes Facebook pageandsubscribe to our newsletterso that we can keep in touch. The sweet song is still alive in the water and birds but he is not there. He speaks of a border he, A number of other images follow in Poem in October. The season is rich, and although, The use of the word faraway is interesting in these lines. Learn more about Thomas's life and work at the Poetry Foundation's website. The focus of the second part of the poem is less a descent (for a youth, in the sun born over and over, as Thomas puts it in Fern Hill, there is no summit, merely the possibility of going higher). Then, in a pivotal middle (fourth) stanza, there is a sudden shift as the weather turned around. From this point, the recall of the adult is more like a review, in which the experience is seen again through the double perspective of the adult reflecting on the childs experiences. These were The last ten lines of Poem in October depict how the joy of his childhood returned to him on this thirtieth birthday and what that meant to the speaker. 67Though the town below lay leaved with October blood. He is in the sun and is witnessing the joy of the long-dead childs song blazing. The poet describes leaving his house in early morning when he was 30. It presents a sensational picture of nature which the poet enjoyed in his infancy his small town. The speaker declares at the end of these lines that he set foot in that moment. The town was still sleeping, but as has been amply demonstrated, the rest of the globe isnt. The speaker has left the autumn weather that surrounds and contains the town below and has gone somewhere for his birthday, to a dreamland of warmth, joy, and childhood. The scene, like many that would come after it, is overwhelming. Yielding completely to the ultra-Romantic spirit of the poem, Thomas begins the last line (which is divided into a triad) with the unabashed O of countless effusions of feeling. This poem is also an example of Thomass obsession with the interplay of creation and destruction, life and death, and the ritual invocation of the moment of birth at the poems beginning ushers in a celebration of this continuous process and the workings of biological processes as a part of the natural world that connect generations of life (as the adult Thomas does in the poem while walking with his mother) as well as hu This demonstrates his commitment to the cyclical biological processes of birth and death, decay (or degeneration), and regeneration, which he articulates through an emphasis on the intensity and integrity of non-human organic life (Davies: 69). To sum up,Poem in Octoberis one of the masterpieces in the field of modern poetry. In the next set of ten lines, the speaker returns again to the rain. However, this does not hamper the reading of the poem. The motion now is reversed, so that the child begins to recede into memory. 17High tide and the heron dived when I took the road, 22Cloud and the roadside bushes brimming with whistling, 26Here were fond climates and sweet singers suddenly, 27Come in the morning where I wandered and listened, 31 Pale rain over the dwindling harbour, 32And over the sea wet church the size of a snail, 33 With its horns through mist and the castle, 36Of spring and summer were blooming in the tall tales. Next. It is well known that Dylan Thomas had been writing and publishing poetry since his adolescent years. hesunder the sun and experiencing how the, The joy of the long dead child sang burning, He addressesthe very factthat this was again his thirtieth / Year to heaven. He has risen ason the brink ofheaven as hesgetting toget atnowin his life. Time is very early morning. Here again, is another reference in Poem in Octoberto the autumn turning into the summer. When he looks around him he can see all the wonders of summer. 10In the still sleeping town and set forth. His writings are Surrealistic in its aspects as he resists the plausible consciousness of the urban life and find meaning in the unconscious flow of the nature. The sentences that Thomas writes are long and stretch on from one to the next, and the next, and so on. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. because itdid previously, the weather turns around. Whether these are real or not, they were previously an impediment to his leaving the enclosed area. In the first line poet says that, Woke to my hearing from harborand neighbour wood. On his thirtieth birthday, it is this alienation that triggers his return to Swansea, and colours his reminiscences. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. They beckon or call him from his bed out intothe planet. In stanza three, the words rolling and whistling have a consonant rhyme. The speaker is ready to pursue this walk for a while longer and rises in the rainy autumn to walkabroad. He also explains how his movements impact the world around him. For example, in the third line of the sixth stanza, Thomas remembers how he, as a child, would spend much of his time in the woods the river and sea. In second stanza, hewalks through a scenewhich is a beautiful mingling of actuality and memory of country and sea, of sun and rain. The poppies become a symbolic means through which to discuss the nature of beauty and its relationship to death and pain. Through these lines the speaker is making clear that although he has returnedto the presentplace and is again experiencing joy,itsnothing compared to the truth ofjoy he knew during the Summertime of his youth. He extends on this idea by referring to the October sun as Summery, or similar to summer. Now that hes thirty, hes thirty years closer to death than he was when he was born. Yeats appeared in the collection Responsibilities. Paper under view intends to evaluate Sylvia Plath's poem Poppies in October (1962) from the perspective of stylistic analysis. It is unclear why the speaker remembers the chapel as green, perhaps because of the green environment in which it was located. He is thirty years older than he was when he was born, and he is thirty years closer to death. The speaker begins the poem by claiming that he was thirty years old when he composed it. The speaker is consumed by the delight of the day, which is only heightened by the beauty of the surroundings. The titlePoem in Octoberis an apt and suggestive reveals the theme of poem. When he finally got to the top of the hill it was like he had reached heaven. He notices the wind wringing the rain and blowing cold / In the wood faraway under him. Listen to Dylan Thomas himself reading the poem aloud (and get a sense of how he heard its swinging rhythms). This isone ofthe varioussights and sounds that Thomas speakerawakenedto on this particular morning. "Poem in October" is a lyrical song which deals with the celebration of the birthday in the musings of the nature. Discuss salient features of Romanticism with special reference to W.Wordsworh and John Keats, Tree at my window by Robert Frost Summary, Acquainted with the Night Summary & Themes, The Death of the Hired Man by Robert Frost Summary & Analysis. Both as a means of fixing this feeling permanently and as a strategy to remain in contact with one of the originating forces of his artistic passion, Thomas wrote what Donald Hall has called a long and gorgeous rendition of weather and landscape, bird and water. What makes the poem so successful is the fact that the familiar sentiments of a very common human emotion have been placed in a form that is uniquely Thomass, and that the rhapsodic language at which Thomas excelled has rarely been as well suited to a subject. When he says that the change in weather is what has prevented him from spending entire birthdays in Swansea, he is not really talking about a physical change in the skies. subsequentlines area satisfyingjumble of images that are characteristic ofThomas. In the morning on the shore the scene is so holy that the water seems to be praying and the herons seem to be priest. He remembers it now and sees it being contained specifically within the water and singingbirds. While meditating on the changes they have come over the man since his youth, the lines are not at all depressing in tone. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. As a child, he had desperately wanted nature to hear of his joy. They force the readers eye to move back and forth over the page, perhaps mimicking the rise and fall of waves, the wringing of rain, or the speakers climb up the hill. Read More Storm on the Island Summary, Analysis, Solved Questions and Critical AppreciationContinue, To a Shade by W.B. It is atthe topof thoselines that the speaker declares he set footthereinmoment. The town was still sleeping but as has been made abundantly clear,the remainderofthe planetisnt. Alternatively, the white horses could refer to the waves themselves. Now they are not. They are everywhere, lording over a land that is given a spiritual quality through Thomas choice to use Priested rather than another word such as ruled.. https://poemanalysis.com/dylan-thomas/poem-in-october/, Poems covered in the Educational Syllabus. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Robert Frost's "October" is a 21-line poem written with a formal rhyme scheme and compressed into one long, single stanza. The speaker is willing to continue on this trek for a while longer and rises in the rainy autumn to do so. He settled in southwest Wales, in Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire, now known as Ceredigion, regions that drew him throughout his life. It is made up of seven stanzas. Now that you have read this far into the piece, you can see why Thomas uses personification so frequently. Last Updated on October 26, 2018, by eNotes Editorial. Baldwin, Emma. Already a member? Thus in this stanza, there is a superb mingling of three seasons-summer, winter and rain. Poem in October: Analysis Dylan Thomas In his " Poem in October " Dylan Thomas describes in great detail his thirtieth birthday which he celebrates in his hometown of Swansea Wales a small fishing village. Copyright 2020-2021, All Rights Reserved. Hence, at thirty, he was already well into his poetic career. The Full Text of "Poppies in October" "Poppies in October" Summary "Poppies in October" Themes Beauty in Everyday Life Where this theme appears in the poem: Lines 1-12 Death as Peace Where this theme appears in the poem: Lines 2-3 Lines 10-12 Femininity and Sacrifice Where this theme appears in the poem: Lines 1-9 He mentions a border he must cross and gates he must open. The first is his manner of constructing a frame in which details accumulate gradually while the narrative consciousness of the poet remains at a distance; then, when the full dimensions of the image have been developed, the poets perspective on the scene is introduced. He was educated at Don Bosco High School and Siddharth College, Mumbai and at Leeds University, UK, where he was British Council Scholar in 1963, Read More River Once By Parthasarathy Summary, Explanation , AnalysisContinue. He recalls coming to the same hill with his mother in the mornings. Given this, the poem appears to be occupied by a sense of nostalgia for the past in the face of unfathomable horror. As it did previously, the weather turns around. He now had to grab Fate by the throat and procure a steady income. There is also an added element of poignancy in the poets recollections, because his awareness of death and time makes him even more sensitive to the temporary beauty of the natural world. theyreeverywhere, lording over a landthatsgiven a spiritual quality through Thomasoption touse Priestedinstead ofanother wordlikeruled.. The prime aim is to help financially weaker students for their ready references. This is more suitable to Thomas language and the setting he has created. There was also the waterfront and the neighbour wood to hear. A number of other images follow in Poem in October. The season is rich, and althoughitsautumn he sees, Cloudand therefore theroadside bushes brimming with whistling. It is the whistling of the blackbirds that fascinate him when he is on the hillside. Davies, on the other hand, claims that Thomas has affinities with modernism in that he believed in concreteness of presentation, which Davies describes as the final barrier that Modernismhad placed against any return to Victorian discursiveness or Georgian descriptiveness (Davies in Goodby and Wigginton: 115). He expands this idea by referring to the sun of October as Summery, or like summer. It is carried out on Graphlogical, Morphological . Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. He moves further away from the boats and dock where he began. His memories arereturningto him of a time whenthe planetwasmade fromcolor. The Force That Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower, A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London. In his work, he employs a large number of agricultural and natural images as metaphors for human nature. . It is through you visiting Poem Analysis that we are able to contribute to charity. Poem in October arises out of these very feelings of regret. The use of the word faraway is interesting in these lines. it's made from seven stanzas. water and singingbirds. 52That his tears burned my cheeks and his heart moved in mine. Summary of the Poem Dylan Thomas' poem 'Poem in October' describes a speaker's trek out of autumn and up a hill to recapture childhood delight, the summer season, and his spirituality. They are flowering in tall tales. This gives the reader a hint regarding the actuality of the word being described by the speaker. He remembers all the times hes been here before, as a child. He was able on his birthday to go to this place. Now that one has progressed this far into the piece the reasoning behind Thomas constant use of personificationis sensible. It was his birthday, so he decided to go for a walk. These exist in contrast to dullness and numbness. He gets farther and farther from the boats and dock where he began. The Gift of the Magi by O Henry Summary, Theme & Paradise Lost Book 1 John Milton Summary & Analysis, Young Goodman Brown By Nathaniel Hawthorne Summary, King Lear William Shakespeare Translation in Bengali 3, Foods that help to fight Acute and Chronic Diseases, The Piano by Jane Campion Summary & Analysis. The areais alive and more like summer of spring than autumn. These two images are crucial to the speakers understanding of happiness and childhood. He revivifies the experience of the moment by describing the town below . About Poppies in October; Poem Text; Poppies in October Summary; Character List; Glossary; Read the Study Guide for Poppies in October 2023 . The following sentences are excellent instances of Thomass inventive use of nouns and adjectives. For example, in his book Welsh Dylan: Dylan Thomass Life, Writing, and His Wales (1980), John Ackerman saw his poetry as the product of a strongly individual imagination fostered by Welsh ways of thought and feeling and distinguished by its lyrical quality, strict formal control, a romantic conception of the poets function, and a religious attitude toward experience.