Fern Hill

Poetry | Dylan Thomas
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And the sabbath rang slowly

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And the sabbath rang slowly

In the pebbles of the holy streams.

These lines are taken from Dylan Thomas’s (1914 – 1953) “Fern Hill” (1945). In these lines, the poet beautifully describes the quiet and holy peace of nature at Fern Hill Farm. To the child-poet, even the rivers and stones seemed to sing softly with life and faith.

In these lines, Dylan Thomas expresses the quiet, spiritual joy of his childhood days at Fern Hill Farm, his Aunt Annie Jones’s home in Wales. The word “sabbath” means the holy day of rest, usually Sunday, a day of peace and prayer. The poet says, “the sabbath rang slowly,” which means the countryside was so calm that even nature seemed to sing softly like a church bell.

The phrase “In the pebbles of the holy streams” shows how deeply the poet felt the sac

red beauty of nature. The small stones in the flowing river seem to make a musical sound, as if praising God. The water moves gently over the pebbles. This creates a soft ringing tone, like hymns sung in a holy place.

Through this image, Dylan Thomas shows that his childhood world was full of peace, music, and purity. Even simple things like streams and stones appeared to have life and faith. The whole of Fern Hill Farm seemed blessed, where nature itself took part in worship.

These lines show the holiness of nature. The farm becomes like a small church. The streams sing, the stones ring, and the child listens with joy and innocence.

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Dylan Thomas
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