thomas october november welsh poet writer works include poems gentle good night death shall dominion play voices stories radio broadcasts wales portrait artist young dog widely popular lifetime remained premature death age new_york_city acquired reputation encouraged drunken doomed poet thomas born wales pupil left school journalist short time works appeared print teenager publication light breaks sun shines caught attention literary world living london thomas met married relationship defined alcoholism mutually destructive early marriage thomas family lived hand mouth settling welsh fishing village thomas came appreciated popular poet lifetime found earning living writer difficult began income reading tours radio broadcasts radio recordings bbc late 1940s brought public attention frequently bbc populist voice literary scene thomas traveled united_states 1950s readings brought level fame erratic behaviour drinking worsened time america cemented thomas legend went record vinyl works child christmas wales fourth trip new_york thomas ill fell coma recovered died november body returned wales interred village churchyard november thomas wrote exclusively english language acknowledged important welsh poets 20th century noted original rhythmic ingenious use words imagery thomas position great modern poets discussed remains popular public life career early life born october son née williams teacher father class honours degree english ambitions rise position teaching english literature local grammar school thomas sibling nancy nancy years older children spoke english parents bilingual english welsh gave welsh lessons home thomas father chose translated son sea character middle given honour great uncle minister poet pronounced dull welsh caused mother worry teased dull broadcast early career introduced pronunciation thomas favoured pronunciation gave instructions red brick semi detached house drive thomas born lived bought parents respectable area months birth childhood spent summer trips visit dairy farm owned maternal aunt memory lyrical poem thomas childhood struggled life thomas mother enjoyed trait carried adulthood gaining attention sympathy thomas formal education began dame school private school streets away home described experience early morning dame school firm kind sweet music piano lessons drifting upstairs lonely wicked sat sums little crime pulling girl hair geography sly kick table english literature october thomas enrolled boys father taught english pupil away school preferring reading year poems published school magazine left editor final school years began writing poetry poem dated april entitled come isis june thomas won school mile race held ground carried newspaper photograph victory death thomas left school reporter leave pressure months later thomas continued work freelance journalist years time remained drive continued add poems books poems published half written years free time joined amateur dramatic group visited cinema took walks bay frequented especially close newspaper office castle street met creative contemporaries including friend poet group writers musicians artists known gang thomas visited london probably time thomas teenager poems famous published death shall dominion knocked force green fuse drives flower death shall dominion appeared light breaks sun shines appeared listener caught attention senior figures literary london contacted thomas poetry volume poems published december poems noted visionary qualities led critic writing work sort bomb bursts years volume critically acclaimed won contest run sunday referee new london poetry world including anthology published publisher pay writers expected buy certain number copies similar arrangement new authors including december thomas contributed poem hand signed paper issue monthly new verse collection poems published received critical praise wrote half poems living drive moving london time thomas reputation heavy drinking developed early thomas met year old blonde haired blue eyed dancer irish descent run away home intent making career dance aged joined chorus line london introduced lover met pub place london west end laying head lap drunken thomas proposed thomas liked comment bed minutes met initially continued relationship john thomas began correspondence second half married register office cornwall july early moved wales renting cottage village child born january late 1930s thomas embraced poetic herald group english poets thomas refused align declined sign manifesto later stated believed intellectual leaning theory despite group including modelled work thomas wartime map love appeared collection poems seven short stories published thomas magazines stories book portrait artist young dog based lavish fantasy map love real life featuring wales sales books poor resulting thomas living fees writing reviewing time borrowed heavily friends acquaintances creditors thomas family left july moved home critic gloucestershire thomas collaborated satire death king fears libel work published outset second world war thomas worried conscription referred unreliable lung confined bed history bringing blood initially seeking employment reserved occupation managed classified grade iii meant called service friends going active service continued drinking struggled support family wrote begging letters random literary figures asking support plan hoped provide long term regular income thomas supplemented income writing scripts bbc gave additional earnings provided evidence producing essential war work february bombed luftwaffe nights blitz streets suffered badly rows shops including café destroyed thomas walked bombed shell town centre friend upset sight concluded dead soon bombing raids thomas wrote radio play described café razed snow play broadcast june café reopened portland street war thomas moved london leaving son grandmother hampshire thomas hoped find employment film industry wrote director films division rebuffed found work providing regular income strand produced films thomas scripted films colour history british industry post war reconstruction ambitious piece thomas verse accompanies footage early conquest explored use early fight pneumonia tuberculosis country romantic tour britain set thomas poetry early thomas began relationship affairs marriage affairs ran steam halted discovered infidelity march gave birth daughter london lived run studio single large room curtain separate kitchen threat german flying bombs london thomas moved family cottage near thomas resumed writing poetry completing holy spring vision prayer september thomas moved inspired thomas pen radio piece sketch later work milk wood poetry written time note believed started living completed broadcasting years thomas previously written bbc minor source income occurrences intermittent wrote recorded minute talk entitled childhood welsh bbc december recorded produced welsh bbc davies offered national broadcast turned august broadcast early morning years beginning october thomas broadcasts corporation thomas employed poetry readings discussions critiques late september left wales living friends london publication turning point thomas poet critic commented spectator book opinion ranks major poet second half thomas began reading programme book verse broadcast weekly far_east providing thomas regular income bringing contact drinking companion advice thomas september bbc began programme high culture network provided opportunities thomas appeared play programme day network launched rich voice led character parts including lead adaptation thomas remained popular guest radio talk shows bbc regarded useful younger generation poet needed uneasy relationship bbc management staff job option drinking cited problem despite thomas familiar radio voice britain sense celebrity thomas visited home historian taylor disliked intensely stayed month drinking monumental scale beer day late thomas turned time homeless let residence garden thomas family moved final home purchased cost april thomas acquired garage yards house cliff turned writing shed wrote acclaimed poems moving thomas rented opposite regular drinking den brown hotel parents lived father died funeral held gave birth child boy named july american tours invited thomas new_york embarked lucrative month tour arts centres campuses tour began audience thousand auditorium poetry centre new_york took venues tour thomas invited parties functions occasions drunk going way shock people difficult guest thomas drank readings argued pretended affected actually writer recalled performer tension build performance arrive break stage scene place faculty party offensive violent said memoir needed encouragement drowned returning britain thomas began work poems white giant thigh read programme september incomplete country heaven believed year began work milk wood working title town mad task seeing work production assigned bbc responsible casting thomas paradise lost despite urges script slipped thomas priorities early took trip iran work film film thomas returning wales february time allowed provide minutes material bbc documentary entitled early year thomas wrote poems thomas principal biographer describes unusually blunt lament ode form dying father gentle good night despite range wealthy patrons including princess thomas financial difficulty wrote begging letters notable literary figures including likes taylor keen thomas taking trip united_states thought thomas permanent address london able gain steady work bought property late thomas lived basement flat thomas describe flat london house horror return tour america thomas undertook second tour united_states time discovered earlier trip drank heavily thomas began suffer lung problems second tour intensive taking engagements trip resulted thomas recording poetry vinyl released america later year works recorded time child christmas wales popular prose work america original recording wales selection united_states national recording registry stating credited launching industry united_states april thomas returned tour america performed work progress version milk wood solo time harvard_university week later work performed cast poetry centre new_york met deadline locked room assistant editing script afternoon performance lines handed actors makeup wake play success composer invited thomas write opera thomas spent days tour new_york company affair time thomas fractured arm falling flight stairs drunk doctor arm plaster treated returning home thomas worked wales sending original manuscript october copied returned thomas lost pub london required duplicate america thomas flew states october final tour died new_york bbc record milk wood starred broadcast joined subsequent film play won literary dramatic programmes thomas collection published won poetry prize reviewing volume critic declared thomas greatest living poet english language thomas father died pneumonia christmas months sister died liver cancer patrons took sleeping pills friends died early age abortion death thomas arrived new_york october undertake tour poetry reading talks organised ill complaining chest trouble britain record received medical treatment condition melancholy mood trip health poor relying aid breathing reports suffering visit goodbye bbc producer days left new_york interrupted night london company fellow poet day visited doctor smallpox certificate appearance planned rehearsal poetry centre director travel new_york remained boston write handed responsibility assistant keen thomas time week romance early year met thomas airport shocked appearance looked pale delicate usual robust self thomas told terrible week missed terribly wanted bed despite previous relationship spent rest day night taken check took rehearsal went returning day invited apartment declined went sight seeing thomas retired bed rest afternoon gave half grain help sleep spent night hotel days later october friend earlier trip noticed sick thomas looked suggested appointment performances evening administered thomas performances collapsed immediately later said wild doctor thought cure evening october thomas attended 39th birthday party felt returned hotel hour day took poetry film recorded cinema turning point came november air pollution new_york risen significantly exacerbated chest illnesses thomas end month new died november thomas spent day bed drinking went evening drink appointments returning hotel went drink drinking white horse pub found scottish poet thomas returned hotel declaring straight think record owner pub served later commented thomas half thomas appointment house new_jersey november morning said feeling ill postponed engagement later went drinking white horse feeling sick returned hotel came times day injection visit half grain affected breathing increasingly concerned advice suggested male assistance called painter arrived midnight november thomas breathing difficult face turned blue ambulance summoned thomas admitted emergency ward medical notes state impression admission acute alcoholic damage brain alcohol patient treated response flew america following day taken hospital time performed reported words bloody man dead allowed thomas minutes morning returned afternoon drunken rage threatened kill committed river crest private psychiatric clinic long_island thomas died noon november coma post gave primary cause death pneumonia pressure brain liver contributing factors aftermath rumours circulated brain followed competing reports drunk death later speculation drugs diabetes post found causes death pneumonia brain swelling liver despite heavy drinking liver showed sign legacy doomed poet cemented publication biography america focuses years picture drunk later biographies critical view especially coverage thomas death fatal neglect killed thomas claims biography ignores thomas heavy drinking death giving pages detailed book thomas demise biography includes thomas heavy drinking critical final days draw conclusion drank death role actions criticised sources especially incorrect diagnosis high dose administered doctors treated thomas concluded failure thomas ill admitted hospital sooner use following death thomas body brought wales burial village churchyard thomas funeral attend took place martin church november thomas coffin carried friends village customary hat walked coffin childhood friend arm mother procession church filmed wake took place obituary times written fellow poet long time friend widow died buried alongside thomas father died december mother florence august thomas elder son died daughter youngest son kill life double drink story describe destructive effect alcoholism poet relationship drink story love story like millions true love drink wrote bar altar biographer ascribed demise thomas health alcoholic dependent relationship wife deeply resented affairs thomas died assets value poetry poetic style influences thomas refusal align literary group movement work difficult influenced modern symbolism movement refused follow creed instead thomas viewed movements attempts hole particular neo romantic school unsuccessful critical study thomas poetry wrote characteristic distinguished thomas work poets continued age continually attempted demand poetry social reference found thomas work work obscure critics thomas verbal style played strict verse forms gentle good night images carefully ordered patterned sequence major theme unity life continuing process life death new life linked generations thomas saw biology magical transformation producing unity diversity poetry sought poetic ritual celebrate unity saw men women locked cycles growth love new growth death new life image opposite thomas derived closely woven self contradictory images bible welsh folklore preaching explaining source imagery thomas wrote letter obscurity based symbolism derived afraid sounds cosmic significance human anatomy thomas early poetry noted verbal density sprung rhythm internal rhyme described critics having influenced english poet attributed taught welsh sprung verse bringing features welsh poetic metre work wrote thomas comparing style wrote denying influence poet thomas greatly admired regarded influence thomas travelled america recited hardy work readings poets critics believe thomas drew influence include study finds comparison thomas notes themes rebirth nature common works lawrence thomas thomas described drive stated phrase coined poet critics explored connection creation thomas mythological works believes reflects welsh myths thomas poetry notable clear country sleep ballad long legged bait white giant thigh milk wood thomas poems influenced rhymes parents taught child wanted write poetry beginning fallen love words poems knew nursery rhymes read come love words words words stood secondary importance fell love expression think mercy words knowing little behaviour think influence slightly learned beat appear enjoy words began read nursery rhymes later read verses ballads knew discovered important things thomas accomplished writer prose poetry collections portrait artist young dog early morning showing capable writing moving short stories published prose work fair printed new english weekly march believes thomas fiction work classified main bodies vigorous fantasies poetic style straightforward narratives thomas approached prose writing alternate poetic form allowed produce complex narratives allow reader rest welsh poet thomas disliked regarded provincial poet notion poetry wrote review added forgot influenced welsh poetry read welsh despite work rooted geography wales thomas acknowledged returned wales difficulty writing argues inspiration imagination rooted welsh background wrote worked narrow groove narrow depth understanding feelings groove direct hereditary descent land birth thought hardly body moved head programmes wales bbc commissioned thomas early radio talks believed poet attitude medieval counter argues difficult enterprise find traces harmony tongue craft thomas poetry instead believes work especially earlier autobiographical poems rooted changing country echoes past new industrial nation rural urban chapel going welsh english deeply fellow poet critic believed traces thomas work accidental felt thomas consciously employed element welsh counting syllables line instead feet thomas depth biographer wrote major english poet welsh thomas deep connection wales disliked welsh nationalism wrote land fathers fathers attributed thomas line actually comes character screenplay thomas wrote british melodrama friend bbc recalled heard express opinion words welsh nationalism expressed strongly believed thomas friendship cooled later years rejected elements thomas disliked welsh nationalism sort hill farm morality letter editor literary magazine wales thomas father wrote afraid isn asserts thomas welsh nationalism fostered father hostility welsh language critical reception thomas work stature poet debated critics biographers death critical studies thomas personality mythology especially drunken persona death new_york gave oxford lecture poet opened addressing assembly case history chapter history poetry thomas poet forgotten attributes written books thomas stated publication feature notoriety attitudes poetry attached threaten prestige effectiveness accessibility english poetry destroyed true voice notes thomas detractors accuse drunk language whiskey whilst doubt sound language central style disciplined writer drafted critics argued thomas work narrow suffers verbal championed work found criticism wrote english disputes greatness dazzling obscure writer enjoyed understanding said reading eighteen poems excitement poetry hard blow small book poems ballads letter wrote stick words like like thomas followed stating doesn use words advantage far finding little merit work publication anthology featuring works british collective movement included number set vision modern poetry poets 1940s thomas work particular criticised writing movement stated stand verbal obscurity romantic despite criticism sections thomas work embraced readers contemporaries modern poets recognised general public votes cast bbc poll find favourite poet thomas placed 10th poems passed cultural mainstream work authors musicians film television writers programme guests usually choose favourite songs heard participants select thomas recording states popularity reading public allows thomas work classed vulgar common cites despite brief period 1960s thomas considered cultural icon poet critical circles life work refusal know place believes thomas mainly 1970s embarrassment twentieth century poetry criticism work failing fit standard narratives ignored studied memorials maritime quarter home thomas member built occupied literature centre exhibitions lectures held setting annual thomas festival outside centre stands bronze statue thomas monument thomas stands favourite childhood close birthplace memorial small rock enclosed garden park inscribed closing lines thomas home museum run thomas writing shed preserved thomas prize created honour awarded best published writer english age thomas screenplay award established prize administered thomas centre awarded annual bay film festival plaque unveiled poets corner plaque inscribed lines celebrate centenary thomas birth undertook year long programme cultural educational works highlights included touring replica thomas work shed sir exhibition illustrations based milk wood hour marathon readings saw likes sir performing thomas work thomas festival charles prince wales recording event list works collected poems thomas introduction london poems london collected stories davies london london posthumous film adaptations starring child christmas wales directed daughters starring richardson war films anthology child christmas wales bafta best short film animation soundtrack welsh english director extras include filmed comments stars thomas portrayed wood
Dylan Thomas