Dylan Thomas as a love poet

Abstract

The aim of the following BA thesis is to discuss and analyse the poetry of Dylan Thomas as love poetry. Thomas's relatively short literary career ended prematurely and the reception of his work was inconsistent from the very beginning. Some praised him as one of the best English poets and others condemned his poetry as empty rambling. Thomas led the life of a prototypical Bohemian poet and in his speech in Rome in 1947 he proclaimed about himself: "One: I am a Welshman; two: I am a drunkard; three: I am a lover of the human race, especially of women." Thomas's poems very much reflect his attitude, his love of life; the main themes they deal with are procreation, birth and death, sensuality, love and religion. Only a few of Thomas's poems do not contain the word "love", yet the range and the meanings of love are multiple in his work. Thomas includes the notion of love in all of his collections. His love for Wales and human race in general merges with his love for women and also for men, his love of God as well as the senses is reflected in his poetry.