Poem in October Full Poem
Poem in October
By Dylan Thomas (1914-1953)
It was my thirtieth year to heaven
Woke to my hearing from harbour and neighbour wood
And the mussel pooled and the heron
Priested shore
The morning beckon
With water praying and call of seagull and rook
And the knock of sailing boats on the net webbed wall
Myself to set foot
That second
In the still sleeping town and set forth.
My birthday began with th...
Read Poem in October Full Poem
Poem In October Key Facts
Key Facts
Title: Poem in October Poet: Dylan Marlais Thomas Written Date: 1944 (on the poet’s 30th birthday) Publication Date: 1946, in his collection of poetry “Deaths and Entrances” Form: Lyric Poem (personal, full of emotions and imagery) Meter and Rhyme Scheme: Thomas wrote the poem in blank/free verse. It means the poem does not have a rhyme scheme or consistent meter. Total Lines/Stanza: 7...
Expand Poem In October Key Facts
Poem in October Summary
Detailed Summary
Early Morning Walk in Nature: The poem begins on the morning of the poet’s thirtieth birthday. He calls it his “thirtieth year to heaven.” It is a rainy October morning. He wakes up early to take a walk. The town is still sleeping. As he walks in the town and near the harbour, he hears sounds from the harbour and the nearby woods. He hears the call of seagulls, the call of rooks...
Expand Poem in October Summary
Poem in October Themes
Themes
Childhood and Memory: One major theme of the poem is the importance of childhood memories. On his thirtieth birthday, Dylan Thomas takes a morning walk and goes to the Welsh countryside, where he grew up. He sees beautiful nature and sunlight. He climbs a hill. Suddenly, he remembers his own childhood. He sees images of fruit, birds, sunshine, and green fields, which remind him of the days...
Expand Poem in October Themes
Poem in October Characters
"Poem in October" is an iconic poem by Dylan Thomas. The poem doesn't have specific characters in the traditional sense; it does personify elements of nature and the poet himself.
Dylan Thomas
The poet is the poem's central character. He is the one experiencing and narrating the day's events, reflecting on his past and his connection to nature.
Nature
Nature is a principal character in the poem. I...
Expand Poem in October Characters
Poem in October Literary Devices
Figures of Speech
Metaphor
A metaphor is when one thing is compared to another without using “like” or “as.”
Example: “It was my thirtieth year to heaven.”
Here, the poet does not mean he is literally going to heaven. He uses “heaven” as a metaphor for life, joy, and the blessings of nature.
Personification
Personification means giving human qualities to non-human things.
Example: “The morning bec...
Expand Poem in October Literary Devices
Poem in October Quotes
Important Quotes
“It was my thirtieth year to heaven”
Explanation: Thomas writes this poem as a celebration of his thirtieth birthday. He also sees his life as a spiritual journey toward heaven. This is a religious element in this poem.
“…the heron
Priested shore”
Exp: The poet imagines the heron as a priest blessing the land. This is another religious element.“The morning beckon
With water p...
Expand Poem in October Quotes
Notes (20)
- “And I rose / In rainy autumn / And walked abroad in a shower of all my days."- Explain
- Explanation of “O may my heart's truth / Still be sung / On this high hill in a year’s turning’’- Explain
- Comment on the use of imagery and symbols in 'Poem in October'.
- Discuss the themes of " Poem in October."
- How far do you consider Dylan Thomas as a religious poet?
- Trace the poet's shades of feelings on his birthday, 'In Poem in October.'
- Describe the nature depicted in the poem 'Poem in October.'
- Critically evaluate the poem “Poem in October.”
- Discuss Dylan Thomas as a religious poet with reference to Poem in October
- Trace different images used in the Poem in October
- What prayer does Dylan Thomas offer at the end of the poem "Poem in October"?
- Treatment of childhood in the poem "Poem in October"
- Discuss the symbols in the poem "Poem in October."
- Comment on the theme of nostalgia in Dylan Thomas's poetry
- Discuss the symbols used in the poems of Dylan Thomas
- Briefly write about the childhood memories in the poems of Dylan Thomas
- Make an assessment of Dylan Thomas's use of poetic imagery.
- Write a note on Dylan Thomas as a modern poet
- Critically appreciate the poem “Poem in October.”
- Comment on the treatment of childhood in “Poem in October.”