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at the shore. A springful of larks is flying into the cloud. The blackbirds are whistling from the bushes. He also describes a hunting heron dive into the water. These images make nature alive and active, as if nature is celebrating with the poet. As he walks, the autumn rain begins to fall. He writes:
“I rose
In rainy autumn
And walked abroad in a shower of all my days.”
He imagines that the rainy autumn is showering down all his memories on him. Then the poet climbs a hill. Suddenly, the weather changes. He describes the bright sunlight of midday summer. The “sun of October” suddenly becomes “summery.” Thomas’s vivid images take the readers on the hill with him, and they also feel the bright sunlight. From that height, the faraway town looks tiny. In the bright sunlight, he sees apples, pears, and red currants. The warm summer light takes him back to his childhood summers, when he walked with his mother. He writes:
“And I saw… a child's
Forgotten mornings when he walked with his mother”
That boy found his deepest joys in the trees, the stones, and the fish in the tide. The poet feels that the boy is still alive inside him. He wishes to find the same joy in nature on his future birthdays.
Imagery and Symbols: Dylan Thomas is famous for his strong imagery, and this poem is full of it. As he walks, we see beautiful images from nature. He describes the “harbour and neighbour wood.” He hears the “knock of sailing boats” at the shore. These images make nature alive and active, as if nature is celebrating with the poet. Moreover, Thomas depicts the images of “the trees and the stones and the fish in the tide” to show how happy he was in nature as a boy. We find several key symbols in this poem. The summer is the symbol of the poet’s youth. This becomes clear as the poet remembers the past summers when he was full of joy and youthful energy. Autumn is the symbol of his coming of middle age.
Form, Meter, Rhyme Scheme: Thomas wrote “Poem in October” in blank/free verse. It means the poem does not have a rhyme scheme or consistent meter. The poem does, however, follow a pattern of changing line lengths. Each of the poem’s seven 10-line stanzas pulses from longer lines to shorter ones and back again. This high and low pattern looks like the countryside hills. This pattern also creates a musical rhythm.
Tone and Language: The tone of the poem changes beautifully. At first, it is joyful and full of wonder as he describes the birds, the harbor, and the happy town. Then it becomes serious and thoughtful as he climbs the hill and remembers his childhood. The language is simple at times, but full of deep meaning.
In conclusion, “Poem in October” is more than just a birthday poem. It is about the beauty of nature and the joy of childhood. Thomas takes the readers to his childhood days through this poem. This poem shows that Thomas found the deepest joy in nature as a boy, and he wanted to find the same joy throughout his life.
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