"Fern Hill" is the most celebrated poem by the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, written in 1945. It is a nostalgic and reflective poem that explores some remarkable literary devices.

Figures of Speech

Personification

• Definition: It is a figure of speech where non-human things are given human qualities.
• Example: “Time let me hail and climb”
• Explanation: Here, Time is personified as a kind living being. Time allows the poet to play and live freely during childhood. Time seems friendly and merciful at first, like a guardian.
• Effect: This figure makes the idea of time emotional and alive. It shows how the poet feels time as both a friend and, later, a destroyer.

• Definition: Metaphor is the direct comparison between two unlike things without as or like.
• Example: “Time held me green and dying.”
• Explanation: The poet compares himself to something both “green” (young) and “dying” (aging). Life is shown as a plant, fresh and growing, yet slowly decaying.
• Effect: The metaphor expresses the poet’s realization that youth and death exist together. Life and decay are part of one cycle.

• Definition: Imagery is the use of vivid words to create mental pictures.
• Example: “About the lilting house and happy as the grass was green.”
• Explanation: The poet uses sight, sound, and color to paint a lively picture of the farm, green grass, cheerful houses, and bright light.
• Effect: The imagery fills the poem with freshness, beauty, and movement. It helps readers feel the joy and energy of childhood.

• Definition: A Simile is a comparison between two very dissimilar things using “as” or “like.”
• Example: “Though I sang in my chains like the sea.”
• Explanation: The poet compares himself to the sea. He is bound by chains but still singing. This shows his creative spirit that survives even under the limits of time.
• Effect: The simile gives musical beauty and strength to the final image. This symbolizes freedom inside captivity.

• Definition: Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in close words.
• Example: “Green and golden I was huntsman and herdsman.”
• Explanation: The repeated g and h sounds create a musical rhythm. This echoes the playfulness of childhood.
• Effect: Alliteration gives the poem a song-like flow. It adds beauty and harmony to the language.

• Definition: Symbolism is a literary device in which an object, person, situation, or action represents a deeper meaning beyond its literal sense. The most important symbols are,

• Fern Hill: Fern Hill is the most important symbol in the poem. It stands for the poet’s childhood home and his world of joy. The farm is full of trees, fields, animals, and sunlight. It is a symbol of peace, freedom, and innocence. Later, it also becomes a memory of lost happiness.
• Green and Golden: The colours green and golden show the beauty of childhood. Green means youth, life, and freshness. Golden means joy, light, and perfection. Together, they describe the happy days of the poet’s early life. But with time, these colours fade. This shows that youth and beauty do not last forever.
• Time: Time is both kind and cruel in the poem. It gives the poet freedom as a child. It lets him play and enjoy nature. But later, time takes away his happiness and youth. It reminds us that everything changes. Time becomes a teacher. It shows that joy and loss are part of life.
• Light: Light is a symbol of life, creation, and hope. The poet’s childhood at Fern Hill shines with sunlight, starlight, and moonlight. Everything looks bright and pure. Light makes the farm feel like heaven. But in the end, the light fades. This shows that childhood joy slowly turns into memory.
• Sea: The sea stands for the eternal song of life. The poet says, “I sang in my chains like the sea.” It means that even though time limits him, his spirit keeps singing. The sea moves without end, just like life. It is a symbol of strength, creation, and endless freedom.