him the gift of innocence laughter and freedom Time as the Giver and Taker of Life As the poem moves on Time slowly changes its nature The poet begins to realize that the happy days of youth cannot last forever Time once gentle becomes powerful and unstoppable The poet says In the sun that is young once only This means youth and happiness come only once in life Later Time takes away the beauty and innocence of childhood Yet even while growing older the poet still sings Time as the Symbol of Life s Truth In the end Time becomes a symbol of life s eternal rhythm It gives life it changes life and it ends life The poet finally says Time held me green and dying Though I sang in my chains like the sea Here Time controls both youth and death But the poet s song like the sea never stops It shows man s spirit that lives beyond Time s limits In Fern Hill Time is both a creator and a destroyer It gives childhood its golden beauty and later takes it away Yet Dylan Thomas accepts this truth with peace Time may hold him in chains but his song of life and memory will never fade nbsp