Dylan Thomas: Echoes Of The Never-Ending Songs Of A Welsh Soul

Yesterday we recalled the birthday of South Carolina's Lowcountry author, Pat Conroy. By coincidence, today marks the birthday of another writer immersed in the themes and images of coastal living. His name is Dylan Thomas, the Welsh writer whose poetry and unforgettable voice brought him great fame in the United States in the decade prior to his early death in New York in 1953.

Dylan Thomas

Thomas and his native land have special meaning to me. My grandmother's parents  immigrated from Cardiff, Wales, to the United States in the 1870s.   Though I never knew her - she died before my second birthday - my father often recalled how she took pride in her Celtic roots and the Welsh love for song and singing.

Many critics and authorities write that Thomas's recitations are spoken words that approach song. You can form your own opinion listening to the poet reading Poem in October, his recollections of his thirtieth birthday. Audio quality isn't the best. I suggest earphones and closed eyes for this sound journey if you choose not to read along.




What an unforgettable voice. I was in elementary school when I first heard a recording of Thomas reading his work. There's a good chance few students in any grade have that opportunity today. That is unfortunate because we often  think education has come a long way over the last five decades. Perhaps it has, but somewhere on that journey we have undoubtedly lost some very precious cultural experiences that have made us who we are as a people.