Dylan Thomas was born on October 27, 1914 in Swansea, Wales. His father was a schoolmaster and Thomas grew up in a middle class enviroment. Thomas was not much of a student but he did edit the Swansea Grammar School Magazine. Thomas?¢??s interest in literature was fostered by his father?¢??s extensive library. Between the age of sixteen and nineteen Thomas kept a series of notebooks in which he wrote poetry, and were the basis for many of the poems in his first two published volumes. In 1931, Thomas worked as a reporter for South Wales Evening Post, however he often was factually incorrect and did not appear for all of his assignments. In 1933, Poet Victor Neubury discovered and promoted Thomas?¢??s poems. Neubury, who was editor of Poets Corner in the Sunday Referee, published seven of Thomas?¢??s poems between 1933 and 1935. Thomas won a Poets Corner Prize and his first volume, 18 Poems was published in December 1834. That same year Thomas initiated his lifelong habit of traveling between London and a rural retreat, usually Wales. In his time in the country Thomas focused on his writing, in London he developed a reputation as a poet, story-teller and heavy drinker. His second volume 25 Poems was published in 1936. It received mixed reviews due the obscurity of some of his writing, but the volume had high sales.
In 1936, Thomas met Caitlin Macnamara in a London pub, and they were married in July 1937. His book Map of Love, a combination of poems on short stories was published in 1939 and a year later Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog, which was a series of stories about his childhood, was published. Thomas and Caitlin moved frequently due to lack of money; his money troubles were further compounded by the birth of his first son Llewelyn in January 1939 and his daughter Aeron in March 1943. Thomas made a small income by reviewing books, borrowing from friends and working for BBC Radio. Thomas did not support the war effort and considered refusing to fight on religious grounds, however he failed the medical exam and was not drafted. During WWII Thomas worked for Strand Films making war documentaries. He also read his and others?¢?? poetry for BBC Radio and performed broadcasts about his early life. In the years 1946-1949, he looked for regular work, but his reputation for drinking prevented him from obtaining any steady position. The Authors Society granted him 150 pounds from the Traveling Scholarship Fund and he traveled to Rapello, Florence and Elba. After traveling he did a series of public reading in London; he was a dynamic performer but often unreliable. In 1949, he finally had a steady home as he moved to Boat House in Laugharne in Wales. The house was built on stilts facing the ocean, and was his home, when not in London or America, for the rest of his life.
In February 1950, Thomas traveled to America on the first of four tours. In each of these tours, he would start in New York, attending parties and readings, and then travel to various universities. He spent a large part of his time drinking and spent most of the money he earned during his trip. On November 10, 1953 Collected Poems 1934-1952 was published. The volume included ?¢??Poem in October?¢?? ?¢??A Winters Tale?¢?? ?¢??In Country Sleep?¢?? and ?¢??Fern Hill?¢??. Between 1946 and his death Thomas only wrote seven complete poems, including ?¢??Poem on His Birthday?¢?? ?¢??Lament?¢?? and ?¢??Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night?¢??. During his final tour of America, Thomas fell unconscious after a serious bout of drinking and died on November 9, 1953 from a lifetime of alcohol poisoning. He was buried in a churchyard at Laugharne.
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Articles About Thomas, Dylan
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Champagne & Sheep: A Poetic Tour of Wales
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October 2, 2008 |
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Yet, it is a place where, it is said, the people have music in their blood - and poetry in their soul. Author Jan Morris, who has adopted Wales as her home, says being a poet is a characteristic Welsh condition. "The company of poets is the nobility of this nation," Morris has written.
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The Legacy of Dylan Thomas in Wales
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February 4, 2007 |
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Since the untimely death of Dylan Thomas in November 1953, the writer's popularity has escalated, especially in his native Wales. In Swansea, the city of his birth, people who are otherwise uninterested in all things literary, flock to readings of Under Milk Wood and engage in lively discussions about it afterwards.
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