Dylan Thomas 1914 - 1953

His Life Welsh poet and writer born in Swansea, Wales Thomas left school at 16, becoming a journalist for a short time Was first noticed as a poet in 1934 Thomas met Caitlin Macnamara, whom he married in 1937

Their marriage was mutually destructive, filled with alcohol and abuse Thomas moved his family to a small apartment as they tried to avoid creditors During WWII, he and his wife lived in London away from their son; Thomas wrote screenplays for movies filmed to encourage the English people during the conflict As the war worsened, Thomas took his wife and new baby daughter back to the safety of the countryside

Thomas moved a final time with his family; here is where he wrote a great deal of his poetry and saw his third child born Thomas continued writing for the BBC, occasional recording for them, as well After the war, Thomas made three trips to the US to present his poetry onstage; he also wrote a play, “Under Milk Wood,” which was premiered at Harvard and was eventually filmed

Thomas became very ill shortly before his third US tour; he remained sick and eventually died after being admitted to a hospital in New York His body was returned to Wales His widow, Caitlin, died in 1994 Their relationship was dependent on drinking; Thomas had several affairs and lived a life of a tragic poet, never fully enjoying the fruits of his successes

His Work Because Thomas would not join any literary groups, his poetry is individual and difficult to categorize His poems are filled with complex rhymes, set rhythms, and deal with the movement of life from birth to death and the life that families see through their generations

Critics have been harsh toward his work, often because of his lifestyle Regardless of the critics’ opinions, the public continues to read his work and encourage its popularity The recordings he made of his poems continue to be among the most popular poetry recordings and much of his work has found its way into popular culture