R.S Thomas’ views on Wales are very clear in this poem. Imagery is one of the main key elements all through the poem and most words are based on nature and material wealth. Thomas’ uses a device such as extended metaphor, these create a good effect and helps Thomas express his views better.
“Wealth” “Jewels” “rich”
By using words associated with nature and material wealth it is giving me the impression that Thomas is proud of what we have in Wales and other countries do not have this beauty. By using different key elements this makes the poem more lively and also it’s an easier way to make his views clear on Wales and Welshness. In the second stanza R.S Thomas begins to express his views on the disadvantages he have came across while living in such a beautiful country.
“ With looking. Have a care;
This wealth is for the few
And chosen. Those who crowd
A small window dirty it
With their breathing, through sublime
And inexhaustible the view”
In my opinion R.S Thomas is trying to say in this stanza that if too many people come into Wales they will destroy it by polluting the streets, towns and cities of Wales. Thomas also uses a device in the last stanza for an example, Imagery. R.S Thomas describes Wales as a “Small Window” and if too many people crowd the window they will get it dirty. These few lines
“And chosen. Those who crowd
A small window dirty it
With their breathing, though sublime”
Gives me the impression that Thomas is describing Wales as a small country full of beauty and nature but will sadly get dirtied by too many visitors and people who don’t look after their country and chose to destroy it.
The mood and tone of this poem is basically a threat to everyone that they are not to crowd such a “Small Window“ . Its basically saying that if too many people crowd and destroy Wales it’s a crime.
The ending of the poem gives me the impression that R.S Thomas had made his points and views clear through out the poem and Wales is an image through a “Small Window”.
The second poem I would like to discuss is “Resevoirs”. Thomas also wrote this poem as a reaction to another phenomenon that accured in the 20th century. This phenomenon accured when parts of England had a shortage of water. They wernt able to wash their cars or have sprinklers in their gardens because the water was desperately needed .People of England came to a decsison that involved Wales. They wanted to build reservoirs in Wales which meant that villages of Wales had to be flooded. On August the 1st 1957 the people of Liverpool came to Wales with the right to flood Tryweryn to build a resevoir to supply the English with water. Before flooding Tryweryn they were evicting people from their homes and giving people the choice weather or not they wanted to dig up the body’s of family and friends. Some people agreed to do that but they bodies were left on trucks and wernt even put into a different graveyard. Tryweryn was then flooded in the 1960’s by the people of Liverpool.
When this tragic problem accured it put an idea into R.S Thomas’ head that he was to write about this. This inspired Thomas because it was a phenomenon that had happened in his own home country and it obviously meant something to him. Also in my opinion I think that Thomas chose to write this poem because it was based on Nature,Culture and Wales and they were mostly the themes Thomas chose to write about.
The main themes in “Reservoirs” are Wales,Nature and Disgust. R.S Thomas were disgusted by England and their decision. People seemd offended because they felt as if they were getting used and evicted from their homes for the people of England to have less shortages of water.
R.S Thomas uses devices in this poem such as tripling, repulsive vocabulary and enjambement.By expressing his thoughts through using different devices it brings the poem to life and makes it more effective and more realistic. It also helps Thomas bring more attention to the point he is trying to convey in the poem.In the first few lines of the poem Thomas uses a device by the name of Ambiguity;
“There are places in Wales I don’t go
…Resevoirs that are the subconscious
Of a people, troubled far down.”
In my opinion the whole poem creates a image in my mind when I read it. R.S Thomas uses different kinds of words like
“Hills,Gardens,Scum,Gravestones”
This creates an great effect on how the village really looks and all the different views.This is called imagery. This also creates images of death in my mind because people of Wales are drownding in the floods and also by the use of repulsive vocabulary.
This poem is also employin the welsh people as being hopless and weak because of the incodent, we did not even bother to fight a battle to save our villages we were too weak to even put up a fight.We just left the English carry on and get along with what they wanted to do to our country just for them to be supplied with water. The Welsh just got used and taken advanage and we decided we were too weak to do anything.
The third poem I wish to discuss is “Welsh Landscape” . R.S Thomas wrote this poem based on battles that hapend between Owain Glyndwr and Llewelyn Ein Llyw Olaf when the Welsh were fighting for independence. Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf was the last born ruler of Wales.He was then murderd in 1282 by an English soldier during a war between the English and Welsh. So the English say the soldier didn’t quite know who he had killed.
The opening of the poem starts off talking about the blood and the death of Llewelyn.At first we don’t quite know who or what Thomas is talking about, After knowing the hystorical background of the poem you know exactly what the poem is about and what actually goes on.They say that Llewelyn died on a cold snowy day and that the blood off his body stained the snow and river.
“Dyeing the immaculate rivers
In all their courses.”
This gives a very negative effect on what Thomas is saying. This is called a Pun.This makes you uncertain on what you are thinking. The spelling of the word makes you know in what way he is trying to express the incodent.We now know that Thomas is talking about the blood changing the colour of the water and the river isn’t dieing. The Welsh people have now used Owain Glyndwr as a threat to the English that if the Welsh were in any sort of danger or in any trouble, Owain Glyndwr would awaken from his sleep and help save Wales. Thomas engages this in the poem;
“There are cries In the dark at night
As owls answer the moon.”
These two lines create an effect on Owain Glyndwr. This is a use of animal imagery, he is trying to say that Owain Glyndwr as an owl, answers to anything and any problem that goes on and he is always watching what is going on in Wales and will awake and will be willing to help if Wales is ever in any danger. Imagery seems to be a main key element in this poem but also makes the poem come alive and creates an effective atmosphere.
There are a few devices employed by R.S Thomas in the poem such as Imagery and Repetition ;
“You cannot live in the present”
“There is no present in Wales”
This employs that there is no present in Wales and that people will never move on in life and they will all live in the past. Everyone seems to be paralised do the same thing, complain about the same things every day that they are living. There is no better and there is no worse, they will carry on living in Old Wales and will not even attempt to improve the country and move on.
“Resevoirs” is a similar poem to another poem written by Gerallt Lloyd Owen, “Etifeddiaeth”. This poem goes on about the welsh people being usless and week.
Gerallt Llwyd Owen is comparing the Welsh people too seaweed. He is trying to say that the Welsh people are just things who hang about doing nothing for themselves.
This poem seem to be a threat to all us Welsh people and saying that we should speak for ourselves and become brave and prove we can put up a fight and not taken advantage of. Without the people of Wales there will be no language no country.
Also “Welsh Landscape” is very similar to another welsh poem written by Iwan Llwyd called “11:12:82”. This poet also applies the welsh people as being weak and living in the past, not moving on practically paralised. Iwan goes on talking about how he thinks the Welsh is not looking ahead on life and always looking back on the bad things that have hapend. Also R.S Thomas says this in “Welsh Landscape” that there is no present in Wales and there never will be until the people of Wales begin to speak up for themselves and show they can improve the country.
The way R.S Thomas expresses his feelings about Wales and Welshness in these three poems are very similar. He expresses his feelings by going through unforunate events that have gone on in his country. He gives me the impression he has no pity for the people of Wales and he had enough of the people not helping and speaking up to save their own country. All three poems are very very similar and speak about Wales and the negative points he have noticed about the people and country.
