Fern Hill Quotes
"Fern Hill" is a poem by the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, written in 1945. It is a nostalgic and reflective poem that explores themes of childhood, time, and the passage of time. Here are some selected quotations, along with explanations.
1. “Time let me hail and climb / Golden in the heydays of his eyes.” – (Fern Hill, Stanza 1)Explanation: The poet says that time once allowed him to live freely and joyfully. Childhood felt like a golden age when time was kind and generous.
2. “In the sun that is young once only, / Time let me play and be golden.” – (Fern Hill, Stanza 2)Explanation: The poet remembers his youthful days when time allowed him to play under the bright sun. It shows the happiness and freedom of early life.
3. “And nightly under the simple stars / As I rode to sleep the owls were bearing the farm away.” – (Fern Hill, Stanza 3)Explanation: The poet imagines night as a magical time. The stars and owls make him feel like the whole farm is floating away in a dream.
4. “It was Adam and maiden, / The sky gathered again and the sun grew round that very day.” – (Fern Hill, Stanza 4)Explanation: The poet compares the morning on the farm to the first day of creation. It shows the purity and freshness of childhood.
5. “Time held me green and dying, / Though I sang in my chains like the sea.” – (Fern Hill, Stanza 6) ✪✪✪Explanation: This is the most famous line. The poet realizes that time controls both youth and death. Still, he continues to sing, to live, and create despite all limits.
6. “And honoured among wagons I was prince of the apple towns.” – (Fern Hill, Stanza 1)Explanation: The poet feels like a prince during his childhood. He rules over the orchards and farms with joy and freedom. It shows his innocent pride and sense of belonging in nature’s world.
7. “The sabbath rang slowly / In the pebbles of the holy streams.” – (Fern Hill, Stanza 2)Explanation: This line shows the peaceful and spiritual beauty of nature. Even the streams and pebbles seem to sing like church bells on a holy day.
8. “Nothing I cared, in the lamb white days, that time would take me.” – (Fern Hill, Stanza 6)Explanation: The poet admits that during his pure, innocent childhood, he never thought that time would one day take away his happiness.