Discuss the religious elements in Dylan Thomas’ poems.

Answer

Mention and discuss the religious elements in Dylan Thomas’ poems. [NU: 2015]

Or, Bring out the religious elements in the poem “Poem in October.” [NU: 2022]

Dylan Thomas’s (1914-1953) “Poem in October” (written in 1944) celebrates the poet’s thirtieth birthday. The poet wakes up early on his birthday. He takes a morning walk in the Welsh countryside. The beauty of nature takes him back to his childhood summers. The poem is full of religious images and feelings. In this poem, nature appears holy, and childhood memories feel sacred. The poet celebrates life as a gift from God. He prays for his joy to stay forever. We will discuss the religious elements of this poem below.

Thirtieth Year to Heaven: We find the first religious element in the very first line of “Poem in October.” Thomas begins:

“It was my thirtieth year to heaven”

Here, Thomas sees his life as a spiritual journey toward heaven. Birthdays are not only about age but also about being closer to God. This opening gives the poem a religious tone. It tells us that Dylan Thomas is a very religious poet. We find more religious elements as the poem unfolds.

Nature as a Holy Place: Thomas describes nature in religious terms. He describes the early morning prayer-like sound of water.

“The morning beckon

With water praying…”

The poet imagines that the water is making a prayer-like sound, calm and continuous. Moreover, the poet sees a heron on the early morning seashore. He describes it in religious terms:

“…the heron

Priested shore”

He imagines the heron as a priest blessing the land. In Thomas’s setting, we also find a church near the seashore. When he climbs the hill, the faraway town looks tiny. The church near the seashore looks like a tiny snail with its horns. Hence, the poet sets a connection between nature and religion early in the poem. It tells us that