Dylan Thomas Poetry

[Scrotetasticular]

@MsDizzyMissLizzy What an achievement.

[MrHellodylan123]

My Name Is Dylan Richard Thomas Ha Cool lol

[yippitydodah]

The complexity of Dylan's background produced him, a father with a First in English from Aberystwyth University, and a mother that had an intelligence of just a farm servant, who his dad knocked up. Brought up in Swansea, english speaking only, even though his parents were true welsh first speakers, but that is not that extraordinarily then in British Empire still then in towns and cities of Britain, if you wanted your children to "get on".

Then mixing with powerful english then....

[squamish4244]

Extraordinary, mystical imagery.

[Kutsuit]

This is so beautiful. :-)

[joeygsmom]

holy crap! what a voice...( OK that wasnt the most aesthetically pleasing comment but hey we can all be Shakesepare.)

He could read me to sleep anynight.

[ZiiGz123]

i was named after this guy

[MrHellodylan123]

@ZiiGz123 Mee TO!

[horrormoviefan20]

I was named after Dylan Thomas, Im Dylan (first name) Thomas (middle name)

[closertofiftythanyew]

@horrormoviefan20

excellent name, but watch the beer, and stay away from the top shelf, apart from Xmas, and other special occasions. All the best, Dylan.

[lornejensen03]

What a voice!

[PulsarPoet]

Haunting lilt from the past, to invigorate the present.

[philiplyndonsaunders]

Dylan Thomas reading is like listening to magic.

[avisualfeel]

Send my heart to Wales/ as the breeze blows in my mind/ through halls of Chelsea.../ where & then fell from hell of White Horse Tavern, a horse of Trojan, your man...Dylan Thomas/ ...but his words rang out in truth...nothing more...a place so surely secured...called time!

[18exiled]

Dylan Thomas invokes in me a rare paroxysm of pride in my country and my city.

[CarolAnneFreeling1]

Nice name - Dylan.I like it :)

[closertofiftythanyew]

@CarolAnneFreeling1 Bob thought so too, way back in the early sixties, as well as Catherine Zeta Jones and that Wall street husband of hers, Michael 'Gecko' Douglas.

Douglas apparently translates from old Brrythonic(welsh) to mean eyes as 'black-blue as a deep river'.

[EmceeProphIt]

A beautifully haunting voice. Amazing stuff. RIP, Mr. Thomas.

[alsonross]

My tribute: Red Cloth Series: Ross McCague on youtube

[En3usiast]

Great words well delivered...interesting to hear the neutral accent.

[aggressivegeek]

lol, im 15 and im finding it hard to undersand MOST of that o.0

Im sure it all means something on a metophoric level though...

[OscarLimaMike]

That's OK it will come to you.... read read read and then come back to it later and you will understand. ;o)

[closertofiftythanyew]

I was the same, thinking, when my english teacher decided to put questions in our year exams, when I was thirteen, of Dylan Thomas, I was thinking, at the time, who is this bloke saying things like black, black, nats arsed black cobbled street, drunk like black stout cobbled street - and all that bollocks.

But it only makes sense in time to come, if you feel you want it to make sense to you. All the best, you did well to actually watch this, truth be told!

[georges3601]

@closertofiftythanyew

Something like the 'sloeblack, slow black, crow black fishing-boat-bobbing sea?'

Under Milk Wood? Gotta admit that that's one of the more straightforward lines you'll encounter in modern verse: The seaside in Llaregub, at night, is dark.

[closertofiftythanyew]

@georges3601 Correct. I was just being a bit of a comedian.

Best line of Under Milk Wood I think is one of Captain Cats' which goes (something) like this;

'The only sea I saw, was a seesaw sea, with you riding on it. Lie down, lie easy, let me shipwreck, in your thighs.'

Nectar, ey?

[georges3601]

@closertofiftythanyew

hahaha.

Of course.

[closertofiftythanyew]

26, tool. I'm 12, so there - nuh-nuh-de-nuh-nuh. English twat.

Vote for Cameron, ey? Pillock.

[Almuric7]

Dylan Thomas is a Genius-obvious; you can't hear his work and not know it, just beautiful, wonderful things roll from his lips.

[Mazurka1001]

Gorgeous artistry.

[misfitmanonadune]

Thank you for this video. It's excellent

[xxxbrako1xxx]

The only reason I searched this up is because my name is Dylan Thomas!

[milesdavisiscoolthe2]

DYLAN THOMAS SUCKS!!!!!!!!!

[smithhedgehog]

what do you prefer?

[manyhighhills]

says the Yank(!), ironically, in his usual philistine mood.....

[midnightatutopia]

Narcissist.

[manyhighhills]

Just heard the sad news of the passing away of Dylans' daughter today, Aeronwy, at the too young age of 66, after a long battle with cancer, with the funeral having been held today.

Deepest condolences to the family of Aeronwy- she had a deep, deep pride in her fathers achievements.

It has not been too long too since the death of Dylans eldest son, Llew, a few years. But death has no dominion on memories of family, friends and admirers.

[manyhighhills]

Apologies, just heard it was leukemia, so it may have have been a shocking, terrible, short battle.

[nickowen2]

@manyhighhills My wife Gill knew her

she died too sadly last year

[Enoch2]

@manyhighhills "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1Cor 15:54-57

Eternal Life, dominion over death, is real and free in Christ alone.

[MrAlekszander]

poetry is for fairies.

and i f*ckin love it.

[myfanniejigglesaboot]

all you who write shit about bob dylan and dylan thomas and whoever else you bash...... where is your poetry? where is your art? let us see.... only then can we know if what you have to say is really true. if not, then you're a coward and you're a fraud!

[bluesboy25000]

I think the message of this poem was that Thomas wrote for the real men, not the fancy rich aristocracy

[lidiapark]

If I need english name (I'm korean), I would like to name myself as dylan,dylan, first name from him and family name from bob:) It would require lots of studying on them in case of being asked,though:)

[MotherFlower666]

wtf? you want to call yourself "dylan dylan"? thats funny, unless you really want

to which in that case i would say dont'

[Poesipaddan]

Great poetry reading. Thanks for adding!

[Almuric7]

Wow... Stunning. Thanks for posting.

[Ali74]

Bob Dylan used his name having come across his work

[dylanyoung22]

and bob dylan has never admitted to that claim. i believe that it had an influence but is not necessarily 100 percent fact. bc was also thinking about using the name Robert Allyn. he like the was dylan spelled his name and was considering spelling allen with the same twist. bob said it himself

[Ali74]

Having come across Dylan Thomas work he states he liked Dylan as it had stronger sound.. hence chose it

[Mazurka1001]

When did you hear of a kike admitting he's knicked off somebody else's ideas, names, wealth etc etc. So why would silly, talentless zimmerman be any different?

[BuggedSatelite]

Odd, I actually agree with Mazurka1001 here, despite the slur. Most "great" writers were plagiarists. T.S. Eliot, H.G. Welles, Shakespeare, etc. Bob Zimmerman was a bore, a liar and a runt.

[Mazurka1001]

Pardon, I only slurred the over-rated Bob "Dylan" not because I "hate" him but because he lacks essential talent that the other Dylan possessed (obviously).

As to the other 'plagiarists"? I don't think I said anywhere that Shakes. despite very serious debates as to Shakespeare's actual autorship/existence, was plagiarist, *yeah the Elisabethans were ripping each other' of the ideas that's no secret)....

[lakeillustration]

you and buggedsatelite are both idiots

[Mazurka1001]

Your argument being ----?

[janicesoprano]

How wonderful to hear his voice. I assume he was sober when he recorded this, one of the most famous drunks of all eternity!

[diddeliduddi]

What a voice, astonishing. Im now melancholy in human form.

[tefisher1984]

Happy belated 94th birthday Dylan Thomas!

[cantnameme]

A noshow, a fortunate mosquito on friday and this.

This the unfortunate, uncondemned criminals, unrequited love and an

overwhelming current. My legs are shot, worn out elastics on your crooked wrist.

A new magnet for you my dandelion blue and keep this here a tulip on your

birthday, sleep was convincing, yet nothing more than that.

[wasteland70]

I hope you wrote this one and your other post. They are really wonderful!! I like them very much - rich & imaginative.

[cantnameme]

Remove your shoes headache, unveil your breasts. Our cherrys arent growing.

Bother. Enough, and now a wind can touch your ear and whisper. Settle, it's

useless. Admit a week is neither extended or brief but still close your

dangerous eyes please dont count me. Far, past, condolences distill our tempt

in fear, encourage our misfate, misgait, our crosslegged life. Poor friend my lips

cannot console, so swallow, drink of me all you need, as rabid and crosswired,

misgrieved on wednesday.

[HaShomeret]

yeah! fuck you... dead guys?

[ImbaNub]

Dylan Thomas san!

[SEATTLEGRL1]

John,

Thanks for this sending me this video!

That is most exciting that you are going to do a visiting professor lecture series at the UW and I will definitely attend!

I'm sure you will miss living in London after such a long sabatical. But NYC is calling you back now!

[SEATTLEGRL1]

I need to quit typing so fast as my error rate in grammar is being affected big time.

Hope this doesn't affect any future free lance editing assignments from you! lol

[LIBERALTHNKR]

Not at all, Sandy!

You did an outstanding job with my 1st draft. You should consider getting back into the field as you have both the right touch and the knowlege base to communicate with the author.

[LIBERALTHNKR]

You are also invited to attend the gathering afterward if you would like, likely a wine and cheese event with other faculty members, a few of which I correspond with for research purposes.

[LIBERALTHNKR]

Oh I am going to email you some things to look at for some feedback. Do you have any spare time?

[SEATTLEGRL1]

I have to go to the office tomorrow as I've stayed home for two days to catch up on my sleep deprivation. But send it to me and I'll do some bedside reading.

[venguitarplayer]

just one of Bob's inspirations. Robert Allen Zimmerman became known as 'Bob Dylan' when he took the last name of one of his favored poets, Dylan Thomas and started playing folk songs in coffee shops while attending college at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

[bpyrad]

oh what of you

Dylan of Wales

who took words dying in lace and dust

and threw them out under the stars of mighty night

and threw them, wrung them 'round the crashing chained and harnessed sea

and wrung them thrice round the lofty and roaring moon

and tore down every banner that blocks the light

gone too soon

[741362]

My God, the voice of the man matches his words! Bless this young visionary!

[Amzi0815]

beutiful

[ziggystarter]

Listening to his voice, you would never dream he was only in his 30's when he recited this poem. He sounds like an old man :| Great poem though.

[SEATTLEGRL1]

This is a poignant poem since I know the outcome of the lover's story. Hearing this brings tears to my eyes.

[sw33tness34]

i think every1 is forgetting allen ginsberg who is one of the best poets ever.

[digabone88]

Was there a slight feud, I do love "who's the best poet" feuds... mostly because I learn more about how people think.... and I don't think it matters which is better. Oh and whoever said poetry wasn't objective is right.... do I remain neutral?

[darwinspond]

Why is everyone leaving comments about who's the best poets. You can't compare good poets to eachother. They do their own thing and make great art. Thats all that matters. Everyone can have their favourites but don't turn it into a huge arguement

[Buksboy]

But your point is well taken.

[Buksboy]

Ok, you've properly told me off. I just wonder who is the more arrogant: the one who gives his personal taste or the one who says I don't want to hear about your personal taste?

[Buksboy]

Caction, how many accounts do you have? Mate listen, it doesn't matter a shit. However you were clearly out of line with that nazi crack. You can't expect people to just take that lying down.

[duroeno1]

Last night was the first time in six years that I haven't fucked my next door neighbour's wife, whilst he is working the night shift.

This was due to the fact that I had a blister on my cock, which I got when a greasy, piping hot fried egg slid from my breakfast plate and landed in my lap.

Bastard!

[EggBagg26]

A similar thing happened to me.

A hot fried egg landed on my lap burning my nuts. I had to stand in the garden and cool them off but the sight of my ball bag blowing in the wind made my neighbour physically sick.

I should have had a cool bath.

[Buksboy]

You say my sensibilities are modern, fine. But whose sensibilities am I supposed to have? His 'words' are, to me, falsely concieved; and his image, 'self-concious'. If I call Blake a bad poet that is my subjective opinion - objectivity being for sociology teachers. There is a place for everything in poetry. Blake is an important figure; of which my subjective feeling is that he is crap.

[BohemianBolt]

I think you're taking this way too personally. I didn't say modern. I said "Modernist." Big difference. You don't have to LIKE a poem to understand its genius. I don't like a lot of Ezra Pound, but I can acknowledge that he was an intelligent poet who did many innovative things with language.

[BohemianBolt]

There's a great book out there called "How Does a Poem Mean" by John Ciardi. It might help you understand what I'm saying before you go around making pointless categorical statements like "I think Blake sucks." The fact is: No one cares if you personally don't like a particular poet's work. If you want to discuss poetry intelligently, you need to get out of your own head and discuss the poet on his own terms. You don't judge a poet "objectively" but impersonally until you understand him.

[Buksboy]

Mate I don't particularly want to argue the toss. Blake is an English poet and eventhough that's bad enough, I actually find his conclusions to his self-posed religious queries obvious and, yes, lacking any emotion. I think he's a waste of time. However that is my opinion, an opinion I was expressing to someone who advised me to read him. I read him and I rejected him.

[BohemianBolt]

I think the problem is you're judging a Romantic poet (Blake) with Modernist sensibilities. A lot of people make that mistake, and it unfortunately cuts them off from appreciating a lot of awesome poetry.

[Buksboy]

No I do appreciate some romanitc poetry, very much so. I think what I'm getting at is certain poets are close and others are distant in feel - some, the ones I like, hold you to their breast and you can feel their heart beating. I don't feel that with Blake in the least. I find him unrewarding. But as I say I do like two romantic poets very much.

[BohemianBolt]

Fair enough. You dislike Blake on the basis of personal aesthetics. Although I hardly think that merits calling Blake a bad poet (or, as you put it, "falsely concieved" or "self-conscious" - we have no way of knowing that). His poetry can seem impersonal - he deals with topics larger than himself. There's a place for that in poetry.

[cantnameme]

you guys are all pushing up daisies.

right now it's Nasir Jones and Bob Dylan

[rondar623]

I listen to nas, and dylan. But dylan thomas is classic. People who aren't poets or at least english majors just don't understand how hard "high" poetry is. Much harder than rap lyrics or songwriting.

[BohemianBolt]

As an English major and a lover of poetry, I have to disaagree with you. You're comapring apples to oranges. Rap and songwriting are completely different artforms with completely different conventions and goals than poetry. Most people who write "high" poetry would fail miserably if they were to attempt rap or even proper songwriting, and vice versa. The reduplicated and layered rhyming patterns of rap and the immediacy of good songwriting serve their own challenges.

[negrocastro4]

best poets ever:

Shakespeare

wordsworth

yeats

borges

whitman

baudelaire

neruda

goethe

byron

[rondar623]

Best 5 poets in English:

1. Shakespere

2. Milton

3. Whitman

4. Wordsworth

6. Hart Crane

[hwAbdiel]

Unless you include Shakespeare's dramas Milton is the best poet. And Walt Whitman as 3rd? Where is Shelley, Byron, and Longfellow?

[rondar623]

Byron isn't all that great. Manfred and Don Juan is, but he's a satirst. Shelley is hard to love, in my opinion. And Longfellow is a bit dated, I most say I love "my lost youth" though. And to me, yes, Whitman is that high on my least. He's my favorite, period.

[grobbledonk]

Best poets ever:

Shakespeare

Yeats

Blake

John Donne

Emily Dickinson

Gerard Manley Hopkins

I'd like whoever is saying that Blake lacks feeling to find me any other who is so inflamed with passionate intensity.

[bluesborn]

He really sells this stuff-like the incantations of an ancient priest.

[Chloilas]

In my craft or sullen art Exercised in the still night When only the moon rages And the lovers lie abed With all their griefs in their arms, I labour by singing light Not for ambition or bread Or the strut and trade of charms On the ivory stages But for the common wages Of their most secret heart.

[Chloilas]

Not for the proud man apart

From the raging moon I write

On these spindrift pages

Nor for the towering dead

With their nightingales and psalms

But for the lovers, their arms

Round the griefs of the ages,

Who pay no praise or wages

Nor heed my craft or art.

[mememezza]

come on, where is william blake in that list?

I like this poem but not as much as the others, fern hill for me is thomas' greatest work after under milk wood.

[Buksboy]

Blake is behind a preconception of general faffing about with words. In other words I aint read him ... These five (including Wordsworth) were my only self allowed influences for years. But Lorca's shit hot and I TS Eliot's coming good.

Hey Patti Smith likes Blake eh? Maybe I'll give him a go ...

Have you read the original Leaves of Grass?? I mean man - where did those words come from? Whitman - what a light! I think all Americans should have to read him.

[grobbledonk]

Whitman isn't fit to tie Blake's shoelace. Blake is the true revolutionary spirit. You say he's "faffing about with words" then you say you like T.S.Eliot??

[bluesborn]

I agree-its a pointless distraction.Each artist brings his own talents to the table.

[lamplighteyes]

...and why is bukowski in there at all...

[Buksboy]

You have to be joking! Bukowski is the most important writer of all time (especially this time).

[trolleycx]

You need to read a lot more especially poets that didn't write in English, Pablo Neruda, Gottfried Benn, Fernando Pessoa to name a few.

[Buksboy]

I don't know mate - poetry generally wont go down anymore; I think I've coughed up my last poet. My top five is basically a testimony to giving up TV (which I have watched habitually from before I could talk and gave up 13 years ago). A time of coming alive eh? It's a base camp reminder in the climbing of a mountain - crossing kingdoms and worlds. I seem to be into culture and cultures at the moment, a bringing of passion to a life, a lifestyle. Which for me comes from music.

[breeeegs]

Poetry is music

[Buksboy]

Hey mate I read Blake, can't says I'm impressed. He seems to me to be looking at his silk shirt and saying yes I am a good poet. The thing with the angel and the tree - don't know about that? I'm left with one word: fake.

[breeeegs]

William Blake was a visionary artist who revolutionized modern poetry and art. His poems were inspired by his intense mysticism and love of natural beauty. I'm not sure what it is about his poetry you find "fake". I for one, think his poetry is among the most profound and beautiful in the English language

[Buksboy]

Instinctually I found the words falsely conceived; the image self-conscious; and the overall effect lacking emotional intensity. I don't believe in mysticism. For me it is the intensity of the art form that is valuble, together with an openess. Which I didn't find in Blake.

[breeeegs]

"the tyger" is lacking in emotional intensity? when Blake questions G-d, you will not find anything more intense or moving in literature

Nowhere else in poetry will you find such an admixture of sadness and wonder, delight in the glory of the living earth

[Buksboy]

The top 5 best Poets:

1. Bukowski

2. Keats

3. Rimbaud

4. Thomas

5. Whitman

[breeeegs]

I have to agree with you about Rimbaud, he is among my absolute favorite poets. I keep a volume of his complete works next to my bedside at all times 

But the notion of making a list of your "top 5" or "top 10" poets to me seems facetious...poetry isn't something that can be calculated in such a trivial way.

Rimbaud could probably tell you that

[Buksboy]

Have you been watching dead poets society?

[blindlemon13]

Break a giant tear.

[livedinbars]

Dylan Thomas was a fucking shit writer. He had no concept of syntax at all.

"Once was the colour of saying

Soaked my table the uglier side of a hill."

Nonsensical bollocks that means nothing.

[blokezed]

And you personally hold the Golden Rule Book of Syntax, for the past and future reference of the whole of mankind. Praise you, mate.

[nevermindgnr]

Since feeling is first

who pays any attention

to the syntax of things

will never wholly kiss you

e.e. Cummings

[blokezed]

Syntax lessed, when you have to catch a hare for breakfast, is not a person lacked with onions and carrots, stewed.

[efreedom01]

Gosh this is such an educated and erudite response. Go and ask your mummy what poetry is until you're old enough to understand.

[livedinbars]

To efreedom01:

I know exactly what poetry is and for me personally it needs to have a meaning to be relevant. If it doesnt your just getting into surrealism.

[rickthorn]

You need to free your mind man. Go with the flow! It's about the lilt and the execution. It's about how it feels when you hear it. Sticking to rules or going to creative writing classes does not a poet make...

[blokezed]

You are living a modern human life, so you are already up to the neck in surrealism.

[Aleister77newaccount]

perhaps it was meant to mean nothing...it resonates with more meanings than your nasty pottymouthed comment. you are the egg under the fat dog

[robertlloydsite]

a poet for musicians who love the sound, meaning and power of words

[blokezed]

Harold MacMillan come back and back me up for fuck sake. Born in Chelsea!!!

[blokezed]

An Old Briton talks.

[blokezed]

There is a cancer within the UK rotting away the basic values of a civilisation. When I was younger we had a PM who thought the times of Victoria were great. At the moment we've got one of our prestige television channels(BBC4) running an unending series of rose-tinted programmes on Edwardian times- never much a mention about poverty, disease and mis-placed privilige, it's as if they're suggesting we should go back to those times. Here, now and the future, that is what is most important.

[blokezed]

Yes the future, where's Captain Kirk?

[Soupdragon55]

The future is nothing without the ambition of now, and the dreams and desires of the present are founded on the certainty of the past. Both now and the future are most important, but it is the learning from errors of the past which will drive society forward, something both the Victorians and Edwardians realised, yet Modernism forgot.

"Then came man. He wanted to cling, but there was nothing to cling to."

[blokezed]

Yes, but was the family silver sold solely to support the cost of archaic dogma, while Rome burns? I think it was.

[blokezed]

mikedowson1, even though I am a Welshman who would love to be an Englishman, let us stay as we are. You have got celtic blood, my son, its obvious, get up at half past three on 21 of June, and watch the sun rise, or is it the 22nd, I can never remember. bollox.

[blokezed]

I think I love you mate.

[blokezed]

I'd love to make you quote Shakespeare- quote supreme vikings- makes us lesser souls large.

[blokezed]

Tiddlywinks?

[blokezed]

Behave, you naughty boy.

[blokezed]

This is how the English and Welsh have always got on- wo betide a lose of humour, we'll be in trouble then.

[blokezed]

Don't worry mate, just practising my chain pulling. We are all friends here on youtube at the end of the day.

[blokezed]

When I said chain pulling, I meant pulling your leg, or having a laugh- not anything, ahem, else.

[blokezed]

mikedowson1, this is the best fun I've had in a while; have you reached satisfaction yet or do you want a little bit more to get you there.

[blokezed]

mikedowson1 was a lovely child, now he is not; anything.

[blokezed]

mikedowson1 would like to have an interesting time, but he has no proper friends to have an interesting time.

[blokezed]

Ahh. Excellent. I know what your all about. All the best.

[blokezed]

mikedowson1 is a fatty and a virgin.

[blokezed]

mikedowson1, do you work for MI5 or even the CIA(or their modern day equivalent), trying to destabalise healthy debate with such language. I am a believer that these people exist, and maybe YouTube is becoming a carrier , so come and get me spy boy.

[paulc23]

He famously said "Land of my Fathers? My Father's can bloody well have it!"

[Finbarbarfin]

Y'know, and we give *Joss Stone* a hard time!...

[Finbarbarfin]

How'd he sound after a few? Where'd he learn that accent? *Why'd* he learn that accent?!

[blokezed]

Thanks for posting paulz5, much appreciated.

Fin, good question, complicated answer, think the reason is to do with education and bigotry. But it is a typical academic Welshmans' accent.

Paulc, he said this because I think he found Wales to be the land of the twitching net curtains, a little bit claustrophobic.

Miked, I see you like Dave Bowie, or should you I say Dave Jones, his real name. Good surname Jones, sounds a bit Welsh, doesn't it.

[canfor5]

I fell in love with his poetry while quite young. I'm so pleased someone saw fit to post his solemn and careful words.

[TrejosEd]

Paulz5, thank you so much. Listening to the voice of the Maestro is such an amazing experience!

[Nobanasz]

Thank you. Do you have Dylan reciting "A child's Christmas in Wales?

[lancer89032]

Great job!!! I loved it and it is one of my favorites.