THE POETRY

Dylan Thomas wrote no poetry that we know of between his war poems "Among those Killed In The Dawn Raid" in July 1941 and "Ceremony Afer A Fire Raid" in April 1944.
His time had been spent writing film scripts and radio broadcasts. Throughout this period Dylan had stayed intermittently at Plas Gelli, Talsarn, near by to New Quay, travelling back and fore between London and Wales.

It is only after D Day on 6th June 1944, and with the prospect of victory and peace, that Dylan began to revive his poetry writing.He had sold his Notebooks (his main source for his previous poetry ouput) to a private collector in August 1941.Was Dylan searching for new inspiration perhaps? 

This then sets the scene for Dylan's arrival at Majoda in September 1944. During his stay at New Quay Dylan wrote the poems "The conversation of prayers",  "A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London",  "This side of the truth", and       "A Winter's Tale". He also revised or finished  "Lie still, sleep becalmed", "Holy Spring", and "Vision and Prayer". Along with his film and broadcasting scripts this  was to represent the most productive period of his adult writing life.

Whilst an in depth critique of these poems is not possible here (although we urge you to read them, and to make up your own minds) we do ask ourselves the question of whether there is a common driving influence in Dylan's work at this time? All of the poems could be seen as suggestive of a positive spiritual revival in Dylan, when considering their re-occuring themes of prayer, aloneness, refection, and love.

The ever present sea re-appearing in the poems as "..the dark eyed wave, through the eyes of sleep", where "The voices of all the drowned swam on the wind", "Over the barbed and shooting sea.." and good and bad are simply "..two ways of moving about your death by the grinding sea".

Did Dylan benefit from the inspiration and emotional experience of once again finding himself in a small, comfortable, seaside community, enscounced in his cliff facing shack, and surrounded by the power and majesty of Cardigan Bay and the beautiful Cardiganshire countryside? Come and stand on the beach across the bay from the Town, preferably at Sun set.You will perhaps ponder on what Dylan meant when he concluded his most vehemently religious poem "Vision and Prayer" with the line "The sun roars at the prayers end".        
        
Caitlin later commented that New Quay "...was just exactly his kind of background, with the ocean in front of him..and a pub where he felt at home in the evenings".

After the publication of his next poetry book "Deaths and Entrances" in 1946 Dylan was only ever to publish another six poems, before his death in 1953.


In light of this we would suggest that New Quay merits re-appraisal when considering its cultural influence and importance in Dylan's life and output.

"And the still hour
 Is come of the sea tumbling in harness."
                                                                
Perhaps Rev Eli Jenkins could answer our question:
Is there really any Town lovelier than ours?