Fern Hill
Fern Hill
Dylan Thomas
The Author
• Dylan Thomas was born in Wales in 1914. He
died in 1953.
• He left school at the age of 16 to pursue a
literary career.
• He was famous for his original and lyrical poetry
and radio broadcasts.
Context
Diction – when he was young and had no responsibilities (life was ‘easy’)
1. Now as I was young and easy under the apple boughs
Simile – happiness compared to the how green the grass was; his happiness is linked to the fertile area
2. About the lilting house and happy as the grass was green,
Time of day
is given. 3. The night above the dingle starry, Diction – a forested valley
Personification – time becomes his guardian, allowing him to do what he wants; as a child he had the
freedom to do with his time what he wants
7. And once below a time I lordly had the trees and leaves
He remembers an abundance of wild (‘daisies’) and cultivated (‘barley’) life; even the rivers seemed to filled with light,
suggesting a paradise where no darkness existed.
‘windfall’ suggests that he realises his abundant childhood was good fortune.
Diction – emphasises that he was happy; the worries of the world did not weigh him
down.
11. About the happy yard and singing as the farm was home,
15. And green and golden I was huntsman and herdsman, the calves
16. Sang to my horn, the foxes on the hills barked clear and cold,
‘sabbath’ creates a Biblical allusion; the farm is like paradise; and his childhood was like one long day of rest.
‘slowly’ emphasizes that his childhood seemed to last forever; reference again to Time allowing him to be free.
Metaphor – the water is made divine; blessed; suggestion that this is a paradise. Links to the ‘windfall light’
from stanza 1.
18. In the pebbles of the holy streams.
Personification – the sun ‘running’ refers to the passage of time; as he The piles of hay refer again to the
thinks back it feels like time passed too quickly. abundance of his childhood.
19. All the sun long it was running, it was lovely, the hay
Metaphor – chimneys are compared to pipes playing music, reinforcing the happiness in the home
20.Fields high as the house, the tunes from the chimneys, it was air
Metaphor – the colour of the fire is compared to the green of the grass; this emphasizes his innocence
that he was so ‘green’ that even fire, a dangerous element, seemed harmless.
22. And fire green as grass.
Diction – the universe was without complication; the stars were just stars
23. And nightly under the simple stars
Metaphor – he is dreaming; taken to the land of dreams
24. As I rode to sleep the owls were bearing the farm away,
Even at night the farm was full of life and sounds; it was a vibrant place.
25. All the moon long I heard, blessed among stables, the nightjars
Personification – repeats the image of the happy house; his childhood was a happy one
37. And honoured among foxes and pheasants by the gay house
Simile – his heart is filled with happiness; every part
38. Under the new made clouds and happy as the heart was long,
Personification – the sun seemed to be forever young, it seemed like his childhood would never end
39. In the sun born over and over,
42. And nothing I cared, at my sky blue trades, that time allows
Personification – time is again shown to allow him to enjoy his youth; time is like a musician that
conducts his childhood
43. In all his tuneful turning so few and such morning songs
Repeated image of children being ‘green’ (unripe, young) and ‘golden’ (blessed, fortunate)
44. Before the children green and golden
Personification – time is again personified; he is with the speaker the whole time
46. Nothing I cared, in the lamb white days, that time would take me
Diction – the first dark image in the poem; draws the reader’s attention to the change
51. And wake to the farm forever fled from the childless land.
Diction – tone of regret and longing
52. Oh as I was young and easy in the mercy of his means,
Figurative – the ‘green’ of his childhood is ‘dying’; the speaker is growing up