Discuss the theme of nostalgia in Dylan Thomas’s poems

Answer

Discuss the theme of nostalgia in Dylan Thomas’s poems. 

 Or Treatment of the Childhood of Dylan Thomas in his poems.  

Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) is a Welsh poet known for his lyrical style and emotive themes. He often explores the concept of nostalgia in his work. In poems like “After the Funeral,” “The Force That Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower,” and “A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London,” Thomas reflects on the past with a sense of hope. He explores deeper realms of memory, loss, and the passage of time. 

Recollection of Loss in “After the Funeral”: In “After the Funeral,” Thomas vividly recalls the life and death of his Aunt Ann Jones. The poem captures his profound sense of loss and his attempt to immortalize her through his words. He reflects on her presence and the impact she had on his life. The poem’s elegiac tone reflects a deep yearning for the past. It highlights how memories of loved ones linger long after they are gone. This hope is a central element of nostalgia as Thomas wrestles with the permanence of death and the ephemeral nature of life. He writes, highlighting the struggle to keep her memory alive.

Her fist of a face died clenched on a round pain;

And sculptured Ann is seventy years of stone.

Innocence Lost in “A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London”: In “A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London,” Thomas faces the tragic loss of a child during the London Blitz. The poem’s nostalgia is evident in its lamentation of innocence lost. By refusing to mourn in traditional ways, Thomas instead celebrates the child’s brief life and the purity of her existence. This approach highlights a nostalgic desire for a world where such innocence and purity are not shattered by war and violence. He writes, 

After the first death, there is no other. 

This line reflects a nostalgic yearning for a time before death and destruction. He desires a world untouched by the horrors of war. The poem mourns not just the child but the loss of a simpler, more innocent time.

Interconnection of Life and Death: Throughout his work, Thomas often blurs the lines between life and death, creating a nostalgic space where past and present intermingle. This interconnection is particularly evident in the way he writes about memories of the deceased, as in “After the Funeral.” By invoking the presence of his aunt, Thomas creates a sense of continuity that defies the finality of death. His nostalgic vision encompasses a holistic view of life, where the past is always a part of the present.

Treatment of childhood in “Poem in October”: While celebrating the thirtieth birthday of the poet, he recollects the sweet memories and innocence and glorious vision of childhood. Waking up at the call of nature quite early in the morning, he feels that he is being greeted on his birthday by the objects of nature, birds, beasts, hills, trees, and ocean waves. He says, 

My birthday began with the water-

Birds and the birds of the winged trees flying my name.

When the whole town is asleep, the poet comes out of the house and finds the herons sitting priest-like on the seashore. The pool was full of mussels, the crowing of rooks from the woods, the knocks of the sailing boats, and the fishermen hunting fish in the harbor with nets. All these natural phenomena and human activities welcome the poet on his birthday.  It is a rainy autumn day in October. It appears to the poet, who has become a child, that the water birds and the birds flying over the trees are aware of his birthday. They seem to be celebrating the occasion by flying over the farmhouses. 

Personal and Universal Nostalgia: Thomas’s poetry often transcends personal nostalgia. They tap into universal themes that resonate with readers. His reflections on childhood, nature, and loss are personal musings and touch on collective human experiences. This universal nostalgia aspect is evident in “A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London.” Here, the individual tragedy of the child’s death speaks to a broader human condition of loss and remembrance.

Thus, these poems are memorable for demonstrating the poet’s childhood. The poet refers to his childhood, which is no longer present. The poet is very sad that his childhood days are gone forever, and those days will never come back to him. But recollection of childhood gives him mental pleasure.