And Death Shall Have No Dominion

EVERY time I read this, I get the distinct feeling that Dylan was trying to put across a point of great importance (to him), but wanted to disguise it as well as he could. What is it??? I can never put my finger on exactly what he was trying to convey! Can anyone help?
Thanks, Sam in Sri Lanka.

To me it means there is no death. That part of me that is ME, beyond the body, beyond the mind, beyond the emotions, lives on; the body is a shell put on for the experiences of mind, emotions, body. Perhaps it is the Soul.

I think it means that if you have lost someone whom you haved loved above all else, and that if the only thing left for you is a never ending agony this anguish thrashing may thrust you to a place where you be reunited with you lost love. (Hitting the rock bottom of emotions and wishing they would take you further)

I think this poem touches on all aspects of death, but mainly the two major ones.

1) Your own death: Death may control your body, but it will have no dominion over your soul.

2) The death of a loved one: "Though lovers be lost, love shall not." Even if the person is dead, the love that you have for them is not.

As for Thomas disguising a hidden message in this poem, I have no idea. It was written in 1936, so perhaps there's a World War-connection?

I agree with Toni and yet, in a more expanded way. Death shall have no dominion says it all. What is Death? The affirmation of life. It is nothing more than change, not the end. It has no dominion. Some things change like the weather, some things are eternal like love, and death does not stop us from existing and continuing. He seemed to be conveying the idea that life goes on so don't give up, because even if you do the world keeps on turning, for death has no dominion.

I agree with Rachel, this poem is read in the film Solaris, a very haunting film about the deep pain of loss and the immortality of love beyond matter, space and time-the movie is inspired by the poem-

A part of this beautiful poem is also recited by Sean Penn's character in the movie "The weight of water", but this of course doesn't give us any more clues to what Dylan Thomas wanted to say with the poem. I just love it, to me it's a very powerful poem, with qualitys beyond the romantic framework of -Love-. Toni describes that just fine.
The meaning is
b e y o n d
what our minds are able to fully grasp.

i think this poem is about how people llearn to live and love without death overshadowing it, because death is not the end

I think that this poem also implies a Christian orthodoxy. It is Christ, who "being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no dominion over him". So, presumably the poem is not only about the Platonic, eternal love but also about Christian beliefs, resurrection, etc.

This poem speaks of how Christianity explains dying
and death. I just sent it to a friend of mine who
had a loved one die after a long illness and I read
it a lot after my Dad passed. Death will cause the
most horrific sadness and despair. It can rip your
heart in two but in Christianity it the body that
dies and the soul lives on in complete joy and peace.
Death (logically) cannot take over us. But we are
only too human and must deal with death in our own
frail ways.

where better to disguise it than in plain sight? "death shall have no dominion"

Have you noticed how descriptive the second stanza is when it comes to expressing torture, pain and torment as attributes of death? It's almost as if taken out from Bosch's paintings. And yet, as in two others there is the notion of perseverance. Of what? Some may say that of human spirit... some that it's a metaphorized idea of resurrection at the end of time. But then again, I love this poem for that powerful certainity that a part of us is beyond death. And it can consume our bodies but cannot rule us wholly. Even if it puts the sun out.

I think that this poem talks more about how death as a Christian is so much better than death of any other religion because if you are a true Christian and you accept Christ as your savior, you'll go to Heavan. This poem blows!

"death as a Christian is so much better than death of any other religion" how can you write such a silly thing Grant?! So jewishes and muslims won't go to heaven ?? what about those who don't believe in these stuffs ? we're all destined to hell for you ??Look at what your religion led us : a war in iraq in the name of god!!! Let's mind by ourselves (It means WITHOUT god) just a minute.
Beautiful poem.

I am completely in agreement with Lew. I don't think that at any point in the poem Thomas refers specifically to Christian death, only the idea of resurrection. As for the idea that those of other religions do not go to heaven, surely that is a particularly unchristian idea as christ taught us to love and respect those around us and surely if they have deserved to go to heaven, that is where they will end up. Anyway, back to the poem. I find this poem particularly interesting as it explores the idea that we are all part of something greater and shall one day rise and take our rightful places. I think the strong spell like rhythm adds to this, giving it a sense of continuance.

I just smoked a lot of drugs and read this sweet poem. And Death Shall Have No Dominion took away all the boundaries thank you Dylan Thomas and rock on. I salute you

Thank you Sarah, for your insightful comments. I for one wish you would continue. I don't know much about Thomas, but I recognize power when I see it, and this poem is explosive. I seems to me a bit of a companion piece to "Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night", only far more complicated. In this poem, it seems to be Dylan himself that is doing the raging. I don't get all the references and I'd be fascinated if anyone could explain more of it for me.

I'm not much of a poetry critic I'm afraid but was nonetheless moved by its potency. It seems for all the world to me that it is describing a spirit of emotional intensity (between to people?) that cannot be extinguished even by something as enduring as death. In many ways it even seems to be mocking the ostensible finallity of the concept. That was my take on it anyway.

"...And the internet said to men,
Kneel before me and I shall give
my kingdom!!!"
...We all fell

My reading was that Dylan Thomas constructed the poem to challenge the view that death is the end, but not in the sense that there is an after-life. I believe Thomas was depicting the fact that life on earth continues through a clever use of binary oppositions (i.e. "Though lovers be lost love shall not" and "Though they go mad they shall be sane") I believe that Dylan Thomas was opposed to those who glorify or romanticise death and believed it to be somewhat controlled. Please reply if you understand, agree (or disagree). Yet, I see the poem as a portrayal of Thomas's belief that no power or authority can control death, only life itself...

i dont think the dylan was refering to death at all. He used it as a metaphore to describe our greatest gift to nature. Love. The entire poem is defined by the line in the first stanza, "though lovers be lost, love thall not". With the rest of the poem he illuminates how the gift of love humans have bestowed upon the universe not only makes us immortal (not individually but metaphorically) but adds something unique to the universe which no power can ever take away.

"Through" in the fourth from last line. . . Shouldn't it be "Though?"

this poem is not about death, it is about love

What a word, dominion. Hmmmm....

Who asked anyone for meaning, explanation? If this poem meant something to you, then that is why one shares poems. Take it for face value! AND sharing of ideas about the cool facets is ENTIRELY the point. But not propagandist conclusions and supposition of deeper meaning for you to conclude with. I like red wine and cheese! Appreciate that of me...Don't tell me what it means! And for everyone that was touched by this poem, feels good doesn't it? Peace!

4ilu, Bella

This is a powerful poem. I don't know much about Christian orthodoxy ,but the title seems to come from Paul's Letter to the Romans, at chapter 5 verse 14 "... death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses ...and see verse 21 "...so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through righteousness"
The power of the poem to me is that it shows the inadequacy of language to deal with powerful mystery. Dylan is somewhere on the other side of words in this work.

Though lovers be lost love shall not;

I can't count the number of times I've lived this phrase....

As the poem was writen in 1946, just after the Second World war, imagine how poweful it was to confort millions of desperate people who had lost their loved ones!!! It is really an awesome poem because it emphasis the function of poetry itself, that is capable of beaulding from dust men and nations!!!

I don't think this poem is specifically about any afterlife at all. It's more about the endurance of memory and love on Earth for a dead person.

"Though lovers be lost love shall not" refers directly to love while "Heads of the characters hammer through daisies" (I think) refers to the characters of a person's name "hammering" out from the gravestone into the sunlight, even as it is slowly consumed with undergrowth.

I've loved this poem for years for its beauty and symbolism. I'm not sure if all of it has a direct meaning but would be interested if anyone knows what the "unicorn evils" refers to.

I think this poem is mocking religion, 'unicorn evils' a unicorn is a self thought myth, so is he mocking those who believe? Also, Thomas being a great believe of pantheism being a 'creator and creature of his own world', isn't he rejecting the idea of religion? The idealistic heaven 'they shall have stars at elbow and foot' also seems to be mocking this perfect idea of the after-life. I think Thomas believes love endures death and religion, and that it makes us immortal.

ok im doing this poem for my english courswork and find it very confuseing, does anyone have ant links or websites with a good analasys?

THE POEM APPEALS TO THE HEART OF THE READER AND DEMANDS A COMPARISON WITH JOHN DONNE'S "DEATH BE NOT PROUD".
-NAKUL KUNDRA,B.A.
DOABA COLLEGE,JALANDHAR CITY, PUNJAB (INDIA)

This poem's subject is transcendence, any way you slice it. The yearning for transcendence is older than Christianity, older than Judaism, older than all religions ever constructed. Thomas erects obstacles to this transcendence and deals with them in turn; less successfully, the impression is given, as the poem progresses. It's rich, complex and mysterious; just as its subject deserves. We live with this as an innate characteristic of our human condition, and regularly fail to articulate it. Thomas at least tries.

Contrary of what has been said, this poem was written around the year 1934 as it was published in Dylan's first volume of poetry "18 poems" It was pre- II world war, and Dylan Thomas was well known to differ from the typical poets of his era; he was a romantic writer.
It is also known he was an alcoholic, and as we know many poets and writers use alcohol to be creative. What I´ve come to think of this poem is that through the state of being drunk Dylan was able to open up his inner most thoughts and meanings to himself, and wrote it down for people to know his essence and beliefs although they are too much abstract and personal for anyone to know it's real meaning.

Thank you for this wonderful website!

Though english is not my mother tongue, I want to add some ideas to all your interesting oppinions:

Doesn't Dylan Thomas infact paint a picture of death's dominion?

Doesn't he fall from stanza to stanza deeper into this abyss of death?

Or should I say: Doesn't he discribe death more vividly in every stanza until death is like life? Or better: Until death IS life?

Isn't the last picture whith the breaking heads in the sun the strongest picture of death and life at the same time?

I would dearly love to believe that Thomas was correct, that death has no dominion, that it is a transitional event and not a terminal place.

But whilst I'd love to believe him, I don't.

Yet in spite of my disbelief the poem helps.

I have no explanation for this contradiction.

I believe Thomas wrote this at a time he had lost his faith. He desperately wanted to believe in the hope of an afterlife, as shown in the first verse. However, as we move into the last stanza, the poem shows a materialistic view that, in the end, after the universe runs down, even death will no longer hold sway. It's a sad ending without hope.

In response to the comments that Thomas is professing views rooted in the Christian faith, considering his well documented agnoticism: In utlilising overt chrisitan allusion and the hywl (welsh sermon-like delivery) is he not merely using the familiar (themes of death, immortality and time) to present the unfamiliar (Thomas's unique interpretation of said themes)?
I think Thomas would be disappointed to see his work interpreted in an overtly Christian light.

No one noticed "dead mean naked" instead of "dead men naked"?
Maybe someone could proofread and correct it?

In response to some of the other comments, where the poem says "heads of the characters hammer through daisies", isn't he referring to the letters of the person's name on the gravestone forcing themselves into the light? It doesn't refer to the heads of the dead people. If it did, then the use of the word "characters" is inapropriate, we use this word for fictional people, not each other.

To Whom It May Concern :
Once and for all - " dead mean naked " should read " dead men naked" If anyone has any doubts about this listen to any D.T. video where the man recites the same.

mis print:
3rd verse; line 6 should read
THOUGH they be mad and dead as nails

misprint line 2:

should read Dead men [not Dead mean}