About
Dylan Marlais Thomas was born in Swansea, Wales, in 1914. After attending Swansea Grammar School, he worked as a journalist before publishing his first collection, 18 Poems, in 1934. His poetic work, marked by a lyrical and imaginative style, includes major collections such as Deaths and Entrances (1946) and the famous poem 'Do not go gentle into that good night' (1951). He is also known for his radio play Under Milk Wood (1954) and his semi-autobiographical stories. Married to Caitlin Macnamara in 1937, he died in New York in 1953 at the age of 39.
* 1914-10-27 — † 1953-11-09
Major works
- 18 Poems (1934)poetry collection
- Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog (1940)short story collection
- Deaths and Entrances (1946)poetry collection
- Under Milk Wood (1954)radio play
- Collected Poems 1934–1952 (1952)poetry collection
Key milestones
- 1934Publication of his first collection, 18 Poems, which established his literary reputation.
- 1946Publication of Deaths and Entrances, considered his major collection, containing poems like 'Fern Hill'.
- 1953Death in New York at age 39, after years of heavy drinking.
Themes
Death and mortalityNature and the Welsh landscapeChildhood and memoryReligion and spiritualityLove and sexuality
Sources: poetryfoundation.org · archives.library.wales · research.hrc.utexas.edu