how the same force that creates life also destroys it. This force runs through flowers, trees, rivers, wind, and human beings. Time appears as both a giver of energy and a taker of youth. In this way, the poem becomes a meditation on creation, growth, decay, and death.

The Force of Creation: The poem begins by showing the strong life-force in nature. The poet says,

“The force that through the green fuse drives the flower.”

This means that an unseen energy pushes the flower to bloom. The same energy also flows through the poet’s youth. This force is time. Time seems to act like a creator here. It gives vitality to all living things.

The Force of Destruction: But at the same time, this life-giving force also destroys. The poet says that the same power which drives flowers also “blasts the roots of trees”. The flowers grow, but they also wither. The trees stand tall, but their roots will one day decay. Similarly, the poet’s youth will also bend and break. The poet says, this force is also his destroyer.

“The force that…

Drives my green age…

Is my destroyer.”

This is the paradox of time: what it creates, it also ruins. In this way, time acts as both a friend and an enemy.

Time in Human Blood and Body: The poet compares the flowing of water with the flowing of blood in his veins. The force that drives water through rocks also “drives my red blood”. But the same force dries streams and turns blood to wax, meaning death. Here, Thomas shows how time makes the body strong in youth but slowly takes away that strength. The human body, like rivers and streams, cannot escape the drying touch of time.

Time as Death and Decay: Another strong image is of the “hangman’s lime.” The same clay of his body can be used to make lime for hanging men. The poet also mentions “the lover’s tomb” and “the crooked worm.” These dark pictures show how time finally turns love, passion, and youth into death and decay. The beauty of the rose becomes “crooked.” The body of the lover is eaten by worms. Here, Thomas shows that no matter how strong or beautiful life is, time destroys it in the end.

The Silence of the Poet: Throughout the poem, the poet repeats the phrase

“And I am dumb to tell.”

This means he cannot fully explain the mystery of time. He feels the power of time in himself and in nature, but words are not enough to express it. This silence makes the poem even more powerful. It shows the helplessness of man before the unstoppable march of time. Love, youth, and beauty may shine for a while, but time bends them all.

In conclusion, Dylan Thomas shows the double face of time in this poem. It gives life, growth, and passion, but also brings decay, disease, and death. The flower that blooms will fade, the river that flows will dry, the blood that runs will stop. By using natural images, Thomas connects human life with nature’s cycle. The poem finally tells us that creation and destruction are not separate but part of the same force. Time is both the beginning and the end.