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On 25/5/05 7:59 PM, "Joanna Boulter" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I don't disagree with Sitwell's comments, but they don't say much about how > Thomas fits into the Welsh tradition. The bardds (bards) of Wales had an > important relationship with the holy force of nature and I think that Thomas > fits very well into this tradition. 'A Refusal to Mourn' is a variation on a > traditional Welsh praise poem. It also adopts the somewhat haughty tone of > the Welsh bardds in that it is a rebuke to those who do utter a sound. I read somewhere that the Welsh Bard tradition is somewhat overvalued in Thomas' work, since he couldn't speak Welsh? Though you can see it in his intricate verse patterns. But equally he's influenced by the French Symbolists, and he's an entirely 20C poet. Someone said his religious background shows in his "pessimistic pantheism", which seems right to me. What certainly seems right is that I can't think of a poet, aside from Sylvia Plath, whose work has been so overshadowed by a romanticised persona. Best A Alison Croggon Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com Editor, Masthead: http://masthead.net.au Home page: http://alisoncroggon.com