Write a short note on Surrealism.
___ is a notable literary work by ___. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of ___.
Answer
Write a short note on Surrealism. [NU: 2015, 19] ★★★
Surrealism is a literary movement that began in the early 20th century. It tries to show the world of dreams, imagination, and the unconscious mind. In surrealism, ordinary things are put together in strange and surprising ways. It is like a dream where the real and unreal mix together. Surrealism aims to go beyond normal thinking and show deeper truths through unusual images.
In Dylan Thomas’s “Poem in October,” written in 1944, there are many surrealist touches. Thomas mixes real scenes from nature with dream-like images. For example, he compares the heron with a priest. He writes:
“…The heron
Priested shore”
This gives the shore a holy feeling. This is a surreal image because it joins two very different ideas — a bird and a priest — into one picture. Another example is when he sees “the sea wet church the size of a snail.” From the high hill, the poet looks at the faraway church at the seashore. The church looks tiny, like a snail with its horn. This image is surreal, but it captures the beauty perfectly. This makes the scene feel dream-like, as if the poet is walking in a magical world.
Moreover, Thomas shifts time in a surreal way. On the hill, he sees bright sunlight on an Autumn day, and suddenly returns to the summer days when he walked with his mother. The beautiful nature brings back his childhood memories.
In fine, through the dream-like pictures of nature, Thomas shows that nature is not just real and physical. Nature can also be a place of mystery and imagination. His surrealist style makes the poem magical.