Describe the nature depicted in the poem ‘Poem in October.’

Answer

Describe the nature depicted in the poem ‘Poem in October.’

How does Dylan Thomas treat nature in “Poem in October”?

Or, Discuss Dylan Thomas’ use of nature imagery in “Poem in October.”

Dylan Thomas’s (1914-1953) “Poem in October” (written in 1944) is full of rich and beautiful imagery. Imagery means the use of words that create pictures in the reader’s mind. In this poem, Thomas takes a morning walk in the Welsh countryside on his thirtieth birthday. He walks through his town, climbs a hill, and remembers his childhood. On this walk, he uses the images of nature, seasons, colours, and sounds to bring back his childhood memories.

Nature Imagery: The poem begins on a rainy October morning. Thomas wakes up early and walks in the countryside. As he walks, we find beautiful images from nature. He describes the “harbour and neighbour wood.” He hears the “knock of sailing boats” at the shore. A springful of larks is flying into the cloud. The blackbirds are whistling from the bushes. He also describes a hunting heron dive into the water. These images make nature alive and active, as if nature is celebrating with the poet. These nature images also make the reader feel the freshness and life of the place.

Nature Images Bring Back Memories: Thomas uses nature images to remember the joy of childhood. As he walks, the autumn rain begins to fall. He writes:

“In rainy autumn

And walked abroad in a shower of all my days.”

He imagines that the rainy autumn is showering down all his memories on him. Then the poet climbs a hill. Suddenly, the weather changes. He describes the bright sunlight of midday summer. The “sun of October” suddenly becomes “summery.” Thomas’s vivid images take the readers on the hill with him, and they also feel the bright sunlight. From that height, the faraway town looks tiny. In the bright sunlight, he sees apples, pears, and red currants.