The poem
Now as I was young and easy under the apple boughs About the lilting house and happy as the grass was green, The night above the dingle starry, Time let me hail and climb Golden in the heydays of his eyes, And honoured among wagons I was prince of the apple towns And once below a time I lordly had the trees and leaves Trail with daisies and barley Down the rivers of the windfall light.
And as I was green and carefree, famous among the barns About the happy yard and singing as the farm was home, In the sun that is young once only, Time let me play and be Golden in the mercy of his means, And green and golden I was huntsman and herdsman, the calves Sang to my horn, the foxes on the hills barked clear and cold, And the sabbath rang slowly In the pebbles of the holy streams.
All the sun long it was running, it was lovely, the hay Fields high as the house, the tunes from the chimneys, it was air And playing, lovely and watery And fire green as grass. And nightly under the simple stars As I rode to sleep the owls were bearing the farm away, All the moon long I heard, blessed among stables, the nightjars Flying with the ricks, and the horses Flashing into the dark.
And then to awake, and the farm, like a wanderer white With the dew, come back, the cock on his shoulder: it was all Shining, it was Adam and maiden, The sky gathered again And the sun grew round that very day. So it must have been after the birth of the simple light In the first, spinning place, the spellbound horses walking warm Out of the whinnying green stable On to the fields of praise.
And honoured among foxes and pheasants by the gay house Under the new made clouds and happy as the heart was long, In the sun born over and over, I ran my heedless ways, My wishes raced through the house high hay And nothing I cared, at my sky blue trades, that time allows In all his tuneful turning so few and such morning songs Before the children green and golden Follow him out of grace.
Nothing I cared, in the lamb white days, that time would take me Up to the swallow thronged loft by the shadow of my hand, In the moon that is always rising, Nor that riding to sleep I should hear him fly with the high fields And wake to the farm forever fled from the childless land. Oh as I was young and easy in the mercy of his means, Time held me green and dying Though I sang in my chains like the sea.
I liked the idea behind fern hill. The happy, youthful and carefree tone Thomas uses is very well writen. He uses colors and certain to words to paint a picture of the reasers mind. I thought thomas did a good job at that.
This poem is slightly autobiographical in that the setting is a dairy farm that Thomas’ aunt and uncle invited him to live on for a time as a child. The poem shows his interest in the process of life. The narrator reminisces about how he had seen the world as a child until line 28 when “a wanderer white” approaches. For the remainder of the poem, the narrator continues to reminisce about happy childhood, but there are darker thoughts and images mixed with memory, and Time (who is probably the wanderer) has led the narrator to feel more melancholy about his present.
This poem is almost a description of a dream. it has has many traces of surrealistic images. It recreates the world of a child and then contrast it with the phase of disillusionment in the adult age. Many of us would identify with the pictures that Thomas draws from the perspective of a child.
I had never heard of this poem before, NFL Films did a movie about the Pottstown Firebirds, a team my father played on in 1970.
At the end of the film the 1970 Firebirds get together for a reunion.They are no longer the guys in their early 20's who played a game together but now middle aged men with a different perspective on life and the game they played.
Some of the players get up to speak about what the game meant to them. A writer who covered the team in 1970 got up and read Fern Hill, it was amazing how well the words fit into what some of the players were speaking about as they reflected on playing a game in their youth. It is now my favorite poem.
Either I am slow, or read to fast because this poem went completely over my head the first time.
This poem was beautifully written and reminded me of carefree childhood when there not a care in the world. I think the he in " Golden in the heydays of his eyes " refers to God - and I think that Thomas is speaking of how glorious is it to be a child who can do no wrong in the eyes of the Lord. When you are child you are simply in awe of the worlds beauty, and this is why there is so much detailed description of…
Read the whole commentThis poem was beautifully written and reminded me of carefree childhood when there not a care in the world. I think the he in " Golden in the heydays of his eyes " refers to God - and I think that Thomas is speaking of how glorious is it to be a child who can do no wrong in the eyes of the Lord. When you are child you are simply in awe of the worlds beauty, and this is why there is so much detailed description of the apple boughs, the green grass, the sound the river makes over the pebbles, the sounds of the foxes -- it is all just a wonder to you when you are child. I also think the use of the color green is relevant. It reminded me of another poem by Frost who compares childhood to being green and explains it as being gold. This poem is very similar to that one in my mind -- Frost's last line is "Nothing gold can stay" referring to how the greenness and innocence of childhood is indeed golden, but it does not and cannot last ... We grow up and age. I got the impression that Dylan was pretty much saying the same thing in the line "Oh as I was young and easy in the mercy of his means, Time held me green and dying" _ In other words, he was no longer green and innocent, he was dying because he was aging and those carefree days were being counted down -- This is why the tone changes so much toward the end and Thomas tries to hold on to the memories of being a child -- "Golden in the mercy of his means"
i disagree with the last comment. "golden in the heydays of his eyes" is refering to sumemr and time. teh passing of time is a constant theme throughout the entire poem. the only reference to anything biblical is "and the sabbath rang slowly/in the pebbles of the wholy streams." and that is simply refering to how he was unable to run and have fun on the sabbath as it was forbidden.
we have studied this peom in my english class and their are a ton of meanings to each and every line. it is a poem that should be read otuside on a day when you can experience nature as he describes it.
That is not true there are two biblical images in this poem and the second one is, "Shining, it was Adam and maiden," Which is refer to the world being unspoiled like when adam and eve first saw it.
Thomas expresses belief in nature itself - its innocence and beauty. Religion is used for its metaphors - and it inevitably colours the language of one brought up in the world of Welsh chapels, but it extends further to ideas of reincaration or resserection.
"The sabbath" is significant because on that day in particular he was free to enjoy all day long.
There are subtle references here to the creation - "after the birth of the simple light/ In the first, spinning place"; to the nativity and the virgin Mary - "blessed among stables".
"The mercy of his means", refers to Time, who is lord of all his experiences.
to understand this poem you need to clear your mind for all options. such as time, time is mentioned alot in this poem. i think thomas is tring to say that when you are young you dont think about time but as soon as you grow up time is something you can never forget.
This poem is stupid.
I think all of you have very close translations of this paragraph. I first heard it when my father read it to me. At the time i was having a very difficult experience, drowning in reality and its chains. This poem perfectly illustrates how our childhood is the best of all times, carefree, secure, and magical. As life progresses we succumb to reality and we lose the immortality and joy we had as children.
Another interesting point would be this poem's relation to its author Dylan Thomas. Dylan Thomas mental stance is reflected in this poem. He ended his life by drinking 12 bottles of scotch shortly after writing poetry such as this. And he speaks the truth.
The color green changes in each of the stanzas. In the first it is the color green. In the second it means young,naive, carefree. In the third stanza it means not fully seasoned or processed, in the fourth it means covered by green foliage, the fifth, lacking training or knowledge and the last green means sickly, pale.
Here is a poet at the height of his powers and who uses language brilliantly. It would too easy to say that this poem is autobiographical.
What dark life he had to write such a joyous poem.
Bailey,
I disagree with your comment entirely. You need to understand that poetry is often what the reader makes of it (not what a teacher tells you that it means). There are at least three religious refrences. The sabbath and holy streams, the "blessed among stables" (refering to the blessed virgin) and "Adam and the Maiden" taken out of Genisis 1. This poem could very well (and in fact is by some) be read as a praise of god for his glorious creation. I don't know how I feel about the poem but you should understand that the poem can be read many different ways. And that being a teacher doesn't make one infallible.
wow....I didn't understand it at all the first 10 times I read. It was actuall your all's comments that helped me to analyze it. This was a major grade for english. Thanks you guys!!!
Thomas deliberately describes his life as i'm blue da ba dee da ba dye
i dont understand this poem. what was he thinking??
This poem is a very strange poem. I did not understand it at all and from reading everyone elses comments i am not alone. I have to write an essay on it for english but how am i to write about something i do not understand. Dylan was a very sick man to create such a poem like this
Does stating Dylan Thomas was "a sick man" and "this is a very strange poem" facilitate your understanding of the poet or poem?
Think – What on-going themes are there in Dylan Thomas’ poetry? What prior knowledge do you have that will assist your understanding of the poem?
What a strange coincidence we both came here. I am writing the essay a day late, and I still don't get the poem. Or more I get parts of it but they all float around and don't connect to make a proper picture of WTF DYLAN THOMAS IS TALKING ABOUT??!
2-26-08
To all:
Do you know who has the copyright ( and how to contact ) or is it public domain?
I'm writing something for the Firemen of 9-11 and want to incorporate several lines.
Thanks,
Ray
The poem is basically a lament for the joy and idealism of lost youth and I think is best appreciated and understood by those who are older and past youth(say over 30): youth are in the midst (hopefully) of experiencing things fresh and new and for that reason I do not think it a suitable poem for school English classes (perhaps that is why there are so many comments here about not understanding it - though it is…
Read the whole commentThe poem is basically a lament for the joy and idealism of lost youth and I think is best appreciated and understood by those who are older and past youth(say over 30): youth are in the midst (hopefully) of experiencing things fresh and new and for that reason I do not think it a suitable poem for school English classes (perhaps that is why there are so many comments here about not understanding it - though it is simple enough if you read it without trying too hard - and it helps if you have ever been on a farm too). It is one of the few longer poems I have learned by heart and recite, often out loud, when I am walking in the woods. I am now 65 and I spent a similar youth as described in the poem in Carmarthen, Wales in the mid-20th Century (only a few miles from Fern Hill farm -yes it is real you can now stay there - and Thomas's house at Larne on the coast). In fact my welsh grandfather, a great scholar of Robert Burns, and a shop manager, apparently used to lend Thomas small amounts of money at times and got small short handwritten poems back as interest payment (I don't think he ever got any principal back - but then that was not the point). When he died my grandmother burned these saying of Thomas:'he was a horrible man - I wouldn't have him in the house.' Horrible or not he was a great poet and 'Fern Hill' has the incantory quality of great Welsh mediaeval poetry. It seemed to be a characteristic (now sadly lost) that working people in the mid-20thC and before often had interests in rather unlikely things and had time to develop them. For example, the local garbage collector was the UK expert on Cistercian monastic tiles and would sometimes go to the museums in London to identify any recent acquisitions they had. I myself had plenty of time to get involved in local Roman and Mediaeval archeology - and none of my school friends thought this weird. There is far too much formal learning in school these days and not enough time for children to simply experience life and develop their own interests and opinions. Hence the deadening conformity that now surrounds us.
ah, fern hill...to be a young child again.
Fern Hill and Ode on the Imitation Of Imortality
I am now 70 years old. As the years go by I seem more and more to understand many of the things that Thomas is saying. A short interpretation is that ,like me, DT is lamenting the drying up of his days on this earth. He died as a young man and I think he knew that his life was going to be short. I have often thought that the poem of Wordsworth was pretty much kin to Fern Hill. The similarity is hard to put into words but poetry has always been a subjective thing with me as ,I suspect, it is with all people. As an aside, I have loved poetry for over sixty years and Of all the poems that I have read and loved, The Lovesong of J Alfred Prufrock is the most significant poem I have ever read.
Fern Hill
I am very sad when i see comments that Dylan Thomas is a very 'sick man' etc. I am not over thirty, but i love this poems, and can see the beauty in it. Dylan Thomas is by far one of my favourite poets. The way that the language is almost song-like in its quality is mesmerising. I believe the most important theme of this poem is time, and how the speaker can no longer access the past, similar to the idea of a utopia…
Read the whole commentI am very sad when i see comments that Dylan Thomas is a very 'sick man' etc. I am not over thirty, but i love this poems, and can see the beauty in it. Dylan Thomas is by far one of my favourite poets. The way that the language is almost song-like in its quality is mesmerising.
I believe the most important theme of this poem is time, and how the speaker can no longer access the past, similar to the idea of a utopia (heaven or Eden) As the first line beings "Now as I was..." you can see the paradox that is immediately set up between the tenses.
As the poem progresses the speaker makes a direct reference to Eden: "it was Adam and maiden". With reference to colour the reader can see how blissful this place is. As the speaker is remembering childhood colours are important as a child would not have the language an adult would use when describing their feelings.
The last line of the second to last stanza develops the theme of time, "Follow him out of grace" as you grow up you loose your innocence. The world is no longer sunny, it is where the moon "always rising".
Yet, although the speaker is nostalgic of his past that is not to say he is totally depressed that he is old. Time holds the speaker "green and dying"; he accepts the inevitability that he is not immortal - yet as we know from previous stanzas green is linked to happiness - the speaker is not despairing.
The last line is my favourite line of the whole poem. The idea that even though the speaker may have an old body that does not make him unyouthful.the imagery links chains and water - and obviously you cannot shackle water because of its fluidity.
If it helps try listening to the poem on youtube as it may give you a greater understanding of how it should sound. When reading the poem you must accept that 'Fern Hill' may lead you to the land where you do not understand, but go with it, don't hinder it. Just as you cannot stop time, you cannot stop the flow of the poem.
Don't give up on Thomas, perhaps in a few years when you are out of school, and you realise that not all poetry is a drag, and it doesn't suck as much as it once did you will be able to accept that poetry makes familiar themes and concepts, at first, unfamiliar. In order for you to have a greater understanding, as it gives you an alternative perspective.
Don't give up, Dylan Thomas rules - and 'Fern Hill' is by far an amazing poem.
For all 'Fern Hill' lovers check out the Rainkings song 'Fern Hill' - beautiful!
Summary: "Fern Hill" is a poem about the realization of life and mortality that appears after an unexpected experience occurs. The speaker is moved to a greater wisdom about himself and the world around him. Dylan Thomas's poem "Fern Hill" represents the passage of one mans life from boyhood to adulthood and the realization of his mortality. The speaker in this poem uses expressive language and imagery to depict a…
Read the whole commentSummary: "Fern Hill" is a poem about the realization of life and mortality that appears after an unexpected experience occurs. The speaker is moved to a greater wisdom about himself and the world around him.
Dylan Thomas's poem "Fern Hill" represents the passage of one mans life from boyhood to adulthood and the realization of his mortality. The speaker in this poem uses expressive language and imagery to depict a tale of growing up. The use of colour adds life and character to people and abstract ideas. He looks up to
"Time" (313) as an authority figure who has strict control of his life, and with descriptions of biblical figures we can presume that he is a religious person who believes that God is incontrol of his destiny. Each of these images contributes to a picture of one man's outlook on life and death.
Colour imagery is used in the beginning of the poem as the speaker describes his happiness as a child. He explains his young days as being as "happy as the grass is green" (313), or in other words, alive and healthy. He then directly refers himself to being "green and carefree" (313). As a young boy he was vibrant and full of life. Being full of life, like "green grass" (313), means that there is a natural course that life has to follow, birth to death. Anything living has a purpose inlife and the speaker reflects his young days as a "Huntsman and Herdsman" (313).
The poem takes a dramatic turn when he describes "fire as green as grass" (313). Fire or burning paired with grass means that something destructive has occurred in the speaker's young life that has changed or altered the course of his natural growth. He is an adult when he looks back and says "before the children green" (314). He had gained an understanding that his life is running out and says time held me "green and dying" (313). He is seeing his "green" (314) life turning brown and wilting. He is staring in the face of mortality.
The colour white is identified with purity and innocence. The speaker describes himself as a "wanderer white" (313) after he gained knowledge or after the birth "of the simple light" (313). Wanderer meaning delirious or roaming, and white meaning innocent, paired together give the impression that he was confused about growing up and maturing. Now, no longer a child, the speaker looks back at his "lamb white days" (314). Used in biblical terms, the white lamb was an animal of purity used for sacrifices to God. The speaker was merely an innocent "white lamb" (314) graciously following his shepherd (God) to his own sacrifice (death).
The colour golden is spoken to in terms of time. He is comparing the value of time to the value of gold when he says "Golden...Time let me play" (313), and "Time...Golden in the mercy of his means" (313). He realizes the value of time now that he is older and no longer youthful. We can hear through his words that he wishes he could have cherished time as a child as he now cherishes and values it. He last uses the word golden in the past tense. The children are spoken of "before...golden" (313). As an adult he is no linger as powerful as he was as a child. "Golden" (313) time has forever taken him far away from his "childless land" (314).
Time is only seen as golden and valuable but is also looked upon as a concrete figure. The speaker characterizes time as a father figure that "allows"(314) him to play and be young. He associates time with an adult who is supervising him and who has strictcontrol of his life. Time was once on his side as he first adds "once below a time"(314).