The principal aim of this thesis has been to trace the course of Dylan Thomas's poetic evolution, which falls roughly into three main periods. It would be wrong to consider these water-tight compartments, however, since it is possible to discern from any one stage of his development lineaments of the past or of the future. Thus any generalization is automatically so qualified. The first period is principally concerned with the creative and destructive forces which comprise the pattern of the changing and unchanging universe. Its focal image is procreative and its exploration of the natural dialectic is rendered very largely through the kind of perceptions belonging to the subconscious mind. It would be mistaken to infer from this that the poetry is chaotic, but its almost continual reliance upon symbolic meaning demands a response in which areas of the mind outside the rational are very often brought into play. The obscurities of style reflect the difficulties inherent in the putting into words of the chaos beyond consciousness. There are places where a nucleus of significance is lacking, and the poet becomes lost in obfuscated imagery, but at best he achieves a superb, solidified resonance. The second period shows a growing concern with the relation of the macrocosm to the microcosm. Correspondingly, the degrees of both affirmation and negation are more extreme. At this time the growing pressure of problems of personal existence and of a greater awareness results in the questions outnumbering the answers. There are poems so dense and so opaque they virtually defy efforts to elucidate them; others, however, reveal a greater measure of clarity and a more plastic command of language. The third period is, in my opinion, the finest. It explores the many-colored world and possesses the mellowed abundance of artistic maturity. At last the poet appears to have transformed the void at the heart of being into a shining image of faith and redemption, but it should be remembered that in Thomas the negation remains and provides the impetus to his triumphant acclamation of life. Taken on its own terms existence is intolerable; his reconciliation occurs as a result of his rejecting the earth for a vision of immortality. He achieves the poised tranquillity if not the neutral flexibility of the language of, say, Keats or Yeats, which marks the vast and detached power of great poetry. Though there are places where the inspiration seems a trifle flaccid, I should not hesitate to describe the end as a rich and complete poetic harvest. / Arts, Faculty of / English, Department of / Graduate

No description available.

Dylan Thomas's relationship with radio is marked by an increasingly complex aesthetic response. The broadcasts which he wrote for the B.B.C. demonstrate a progressive refinement of technique and an increasingly original approach to the medium. Under Milk Wood, in many regards, represents the culmination of this broadcasting work; it is a remarkable response to the evocative potentials of radio. But the piece, apart from confirming Thomas's achievement in radio, also provides a unique vehicle for exploring critical treatment of a non-textual form like radio. The critical history of Under Milk Wood emphasises the need for a "form-sensitive" criticism appreciative of the artistic potentials and restrictions of radio. Finally, it is these potentials and restrictions, masterfully explored by Thomas, which can also be seen as exerting a powerful influence on Thomas's own artistic sensibility. The social essence of radio altered Thomas's own artistry.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the nature and extent of Dylan Thomas's artistic debt to William Blake. "Chapter I" of our study documents Thomas's professional interest in Blake, offering evidence that Thomas read Blake extensively and carefully. Further, evidence is presented of Thomas's admiration of Blake as a poet and his stated desire to emulate him. "Chapter II" traces Thomas’s direct borrowings from Blake in his 18 Poems as well as in a short story. Because Northrop Frye's idea of the importance of and significance of literary borrowing and literary allusion dictates the direction of much of our argument, our discussion attempts to show the significance of Thomas's borrowings; the implication is that Thomas's imagination shared certain archetypal similarities to that of Blake's. The method of investigation used throughout the thesis, then, has involved a detailed examination of the poems of both poets with the purpose in mind of indicating, where possible, the archetypal significance of the borrowing. "Chapter III" attempts to establish Thomas's direct debt to Blake for many of his images and concepts in his "Altarwise by Owl-Light" sonnet sequence. Our implication is that Thomas was directly influenced in writing the sequence by his knowledge of Blake's epics Vala and Milton. Evidence is presented, in fact, that Thomas borrowed certain of the images for his sonnets from Blake's epics. The preoccupation of both Blake and Thomas with the sinister female will aspect of love in marriage is investigated in "Chapter IV"; our argument implies that Blake derived much of his attitude toward married love from Milton, and through both Milton and Blake, Thomas inherited a somewhat similar attitude. At all times, however, our chief concern is with the poetry resulting from these underlying tensions. There emerges from our study evidence of a striking similarity in artistic vision between Blake and Thomas. Our tracing of literary archetypes (in Northrop Frye's definition) and analogues in the poems leads to the conclusion that Thomas saw the universe from a somewhat similar point of view to that of Blake. "Chapter V" compares Blake’s Jerusalem with Thomas's last poems to establish a correspondence of achieved vision. The comparison is validated, and our argument proceeds to show that, while Thomas was attempting to move in a similar visionary direction to Blake in terms of art, Blake far outstripped the Welsh poet from the point of view of achieved total vision expressed through poetry. Our conclusion follows that, while Thomas, throughout his artistic career, was influenced by Blake and borrowed from him, he found himself at a creative impasse out of which he attempted to work by turning to voice drama in the form of a dramatic and highly imaginative documentary called Under Milk Wood, and even this, his last work, is in some ways reminiscent of Blake's influence. / Arts, Faculty of / English, Department of / Graduate

This study examines rhythm, syntax, sound, and diction in selected early and late poems from Dylan Thomas's Collected Poems. It demonstrates, on the basis of stylistic evidence, that the later poetry is the greater achievement. The early and later poems are different in the area of rhythm. Early poems are regularly metered with a strong iambic beat, and a majority of lines are end-stopped. Rhythms in the later, finer poems are irregular, and enjambed lines predominate. The later poems show an increased ability to match rhythm with meaning. Dylan Thomas's syntax is simpler on the surface than ordinarily supposed. Early poems contain restrictive relative clauses that result in complex deep structure and sentence stacking. The later poems contain appositive relative clauses, a change in style that results in greater clarity. Repetitive patterning is frequent during both poetic periods. Thomas shows his greatest virtuosity in the area of sound. Many techniques are common to both periods, but his achievement in making sound functional in the later poetry gives it greater dimension. In creating his unique poetic voice, Dylan Thomas uses both old and new devices. Common and uncommon rhetorical figures abound in both periods, but, in common with the other stylistic elements, the figures are used more effectively in the later poetry. On the basis of an examination of the stylistic elements of rhythm, syntax, sound, and diction, this study demonstrates a greater level of achievement in the last poems of Dylan Thomas.

No description available.

No description available.

While often assumed, Gerard Manley Hopkins' influence on Dylan Thomas has needed substantiation. By placing the issue of Hopkins' influence on Thomas within critical, historical, and literary contexts, this study explores the issue and demonstrates Hopkins' influence. Summary and assessment of previous critical work on the issue of Hopkins' influence establish the ways in which this study continues, diverges from or completes work done in the past. Evidence from biographical work on Thomas, as well as his letters and prose, outlines his contact with Hopkins' poems. A discussion of Thomas' Welsh background relates his experience of Wales and Welsh prosody to Hopkins' corresponding experiences. The literary context of the issue of Hopkins' influence on Thomas is established by means of a two-part foundation. First, the possible influence of W. B. Yeats, Wilfred Owen, Hart Crane, and James Joyce on Thomas is distinguished from Hopkins' influence. Second, specifically Hopkinsian areas of influence on Thomas are discussed. These areas of influence serve as a critical framework within which six Thomas poems dating from 1934 to 1951 are analyzed.

A peça radiofônica Under Milk Wood, de Dylan Thomas, nos mostra cenas de um dia na vida dos habitantes da cidadezinha litorânea de Llareggub, no País de Gales. Como galês que sou, residente no Brasil há duas décadas, tenho percebido que apesar de este escritor ser bastante conhecido por aqui, sua obra não é muito estudada nos círculos acadêmicos. Após conduzir uma pesquisa rudimentar no formato de entrevistas feitas a professores e estudantes universitários, concluí que a recepção da obra de Dylan Thomas fica prejudicada devido às amplas diferenças culturais que existem entre o Brasil e o País de Gales. A experiência de uma oficina de leitura de Under Milk Wood mostrou que estudantes brasileiros de literaturas de língua inglesa podem responder muito bem ao texto a partir do momento em que começam a perceber o tom local e o estilo do cenário e das personagens, bem como as particularidades linguísticas. A resposta dos leitores, e a sua fruição da obra, crescem significativamente à medida em que percebem que dominam aspectos históricos e culturais ligados à peça, e também as referências geográficas que fazem a ponte entre o cenário ficcional do vilarejo e as cidadezinhas litorâneas similares do País de Gales da vida real, com os hábitos característicos dos moradores locais. Com base no acima exposto, o objetivo desta dissertação é se constituir um guia de leitura que seja útil para estudantes de literaturas de língua inglesa externos ao Reino Unido, como aqueles que encontrei no Brasil, bem como para tradutores potenciais da peça, ou mesmo para leitores em geral que queiram compreender e usufruir melhor aquilo que a peça Under Milk Wood tem a oferecer. Para melhor acompanhar os leitores neste passeio pela cidade de Llareggub, decidi estruturar o capítulo principal desta dissertação no formato de comentários críticos formados por notas e observações técnicas que visam esclarecer elementos culturais que impedem que o leitor desavisado decodifique certos aspectos da peça. O trabalho vem dividido em três seções. Na primeira são introduzidos os referenciais históricos e geográficos do País de Gales, apresentados a partir da leitura dos reconhecidos historiadores galeses John Davies e Geraint Jenkins. As informações sobre a literatura galesa produzida em língua inglesa se embasam predominantemente em Glyn Jones e Stephen Knight. A segunda seção analisa a estrutura da obra e a terceira apresenta o guia de anotações página a página. A sequência inicia com a apresentação do vilarejo de Llareggub e sua contrapartida nas cidades litorâneas do País de Gales. O guia página a página elucida aspectos culturais relacionados à narrativa, explica expressões coloquiais anglo-galesas e oferece possibilidades de interpretação para certas cenas e situações. / Dylan Thomas’s play for voices Under Milk Wood offers us a glimpse into a day in the lives of the inhabitants of the fictional small Welsh seaside town of Llareggub. Welsh readers identify immediately with the eccentricity of village life and the cultural richness of the characters and setting that embody the spirit of Wales. As a Welshman living in Brazil for the last twenty years I have noticed that, although Dylan Thomas is well known here, his work is rarely studied in academic circles. After conducting a rudimentary research consisting of interviews with professors and university students, I concluded that the work of Dylan Thomas is not easily grasped because of the vast cultural differences between Brazil and Wales. An experimental reading workshop of Under Milk Wood has shown that Brazilian English Literature students respond well to the work when they begin to understand the local tone and style of the setting and characters, including the linguistic peculiarities. Having a better knowledge of the cultural and historical aspects of the play, as well as geographical references for possible locations of the town and parallels with factual settings and habits of native townsfolk, can help readers to better understand and enjoy the work. The purpose of this thesis, therefore, is to function as a guide for non-English native students of English Literature, such as I have encountered in Brazil, for potential translators of the play, or even for readers in general who wish to reach a better understanding of Under Milk Wood and take more enjoyment from it. In order to accompany the student as a guide through the town of Llareggub I decided to build this thesis in the format of a set of annotated critical comments, consisting of a number of technical observations and notes that aim at elucidating the cultural elements that prevent the otherwise uninformed reader to make his way through the play. The thesis is divided into three sections. In the first part I refer to elements in the history and geography of Wales. As a support for this contextualization chapter I resort to the foremost historians of Wales, John Davies and Geraint Jenkins. For Welsh literature written in English, Glyn Jones and Stephen Knight have been the principal authors researched. The second section discusses the structure of the play with excerpts and a description of the town of Llareggub paralleled historically and geographically with factual seaside towns in Wales. The third section consists of a page by page guide, in the form of explanatory notes, of the play itself. This page by page guide elucidates the cultural aspects of Wales found in the narrative, explains Welsh-English colloquial language used and offers possible interpretations of scenes and situations.

A peça radiofônica Under Milk Wood, de Dylan Thomas, nos mostra cenas de um dia na vida dos habitantes da cidadezinha litorânea de Llareggub, no País de Gales. Como galês que sou, residente no Brasil há duas décadas, tenho percebido que apesar de este escritor ser bastante conhecido por aqui, sua obra não é muito estudada nos círculos acadêmicos. Após conduzir uma pesquisa rudimentar no formato de entrevistas feitas a professores e estudantes universitários, concluí que a recepção da obra de Dylan Thomas fica prejudicada devido às amplas diferenças culturais que existem entre o Brasil e o País de Gales. A experiência de uma oficina de leitura de Under Milk Wood mostrou que estudantes brasileiros de literaturas de língua inglesa podem responder muito bem ao texto a partir do momento em que começam a perceber o tom local e o estilo do cenário e das personagens, bem como as particularidades linguísticas. A resposta dos leitores, e a sua fruição da obra, crescem significativamente à medida em que percebem que dominam aspectos históricos e culturais ligados à peça, e também as referências geográficas que fazem a ponte entre o cenário ficcional do vilarejo e as cidadezinhas litorâneas similares do País de Gales da vida real, com os hábitos característicos dos moradores locais. Com base no acima exposto, o objetivo desta dissertação é se constituir um guia de leitura que seja útil para estudantes de literaturas de língua inglesa externos ao Reino Unido, como aqueles que encontrei no Brasil, bem como para tradutores potenciais da peça, ou mesmo para leitores em geral que queiram compreender e usufruir melhor aquilo que a peça Under Milk Wood tem a oferecer. Para melhor acompanhar os leitores neste passeio pela cidade de Llareggub, decidi estruturar o capítulo principal desta dissertação no formato de comentários críticos formados por notas e observações técnicas que visam esclarecer elementos culturais que impedem que o leitor desavisado decodifique certos aspectos da peça. O trabalho vem dividido em três seções. Na primeira são introduzidos os referenciais históricos e geográficos do País de Gales, apresentados a partir da leitura dos reconhecidos historiadores galeses John Davies e Geraint Jenkins. As informações sobre a literatura galesa produzida em língua inglesa se embasam predominantemente em Glyn Jones e Stephen Knight. A segunda seção analisa a estrutura da obra e a terceira apresenta o guia de anotações página a página. A sequência inicia com a apresentação do vilarejo de Llareggub e sua contrapartida nas cidades litorâneas do País de Gales. O guia página a página elucida aspectos culturais relacionados à narrativa, explica expressões coloquiais anglo-galesas e oferece possibilidades de interpretação para certas cenas e situações. / Dylan Thomas’s play for voices Under Milk Wood offers us a glimpse into a day in the lives of the inhabitants of the fictional small Welsh seaside town of Llareggub. Welsh readers identify immediately with the eccentricity of village life and the cultural richness of the characters and setting that embody the spirit of Wales. As a Welshman living in Brazil for the last twenty years I have noticed that, although Dylan Thomas is well known here, his work is rarely studied in academic circles. After conducting a rudimentary research consisting of interviews with professors and university students, I concluded that the work of Dylan Thomas is not easily grasped because of the vast cultural differences between Brazil and Wales. An experimental reading workshop of Under Milk Wood has shown that Brazilian English Literature students respond well to the work when they begin to understand the local tone and style of the setting and characters, including the linguistic peculiarities. Having a better knowledge of the cultural and historical aspects of the play, as well as geographical references for possible locations of the town and parallels with factual settings and habits of native townsfolk, can help readers to better understand and enjoy the work. The purpose of this thesis, therefore, is to function as a guide for non-English native students of English Literature, such as I have encountered in Brazil, for potential translators of the play, or even for readers in general who wish to reach a better understanding of Under Milk Wood and take more enjoyment from it. In order to accompany the student as a guide through the town of Llareggub I decided to build this thesis in the format of a set of annotated critical comments, consisting of a number of technical observations and notes that aim at elucidating the cultural elements that prevent the otherwise uninformed reader to make his way through the play. The thesis is divided into three sections. In the first part I refer to elements in the history and geography of Wales. As a support for this contextualization chapter I resort to the foremost historians of Wales, John Davies and Geraint Jenkins. For Welsh literature written in English, Glyn Jones and Stephen Knight have been the principal authors researched. The second section discusses the structure of the play with excerpts and a description of the town of Llareggub paralleled historically and geographically with factual seaside towns in Wales. The third section consists of a page by page guide, in the form of explanatory notes, of the play itself. This page by page guide elucidates the cultural aspects of Wales found in the narrative, explains Welsh-English colloquial language used and offers possible interpretations of scenes and situations.