And death shall have no dominion: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|1933 poem by Dylan Thomas}} |
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"'''And death shall have no dominion'''" is a poem written by Welsh poet [[Dylan Thomas]] (1914–1953). The title comes from [[St. Paul]]'s [[epistle to the Romans]] (6:9).<ref>[http://lit.genius.com/Dylan-thomas-and-death-shall-have-no-dominion-annotated Online copy of the poem]</ref> |
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"'''And death shall have no dominion'''" is a poem written by Welsh poet [[Dylan Thomas]] (1914–1953). The title comes from [[St. Paul]]'s [[epistle to the Romans]] (6:9): "Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no dominion over him."<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Maud |first=Ralph |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt130hdj6 |title=Where Have the Old Words Got Me?: Explications of Dylan Thomas's Collected Poems |date=2003 |publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press |isbn=978-0-7735-2420-0 |pages=38}}</ref> The poem portrays death as a guarantee of immortality,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Daiches |first=David |date=1954 |title=The Poetry of Dylan Thomas |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/371613 |journal=College English |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=1–8 |doi=10.2307/371613 |issn=0010-0994}}</ref> drawing on imagery from [[John Donne]]'s ''[[Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions]]''.<ref name=":0" /> |
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== Poem == |
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<poem>And death shall have no dominion. |
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Dead men naked they shall be one |
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With the man in the wind and the west moon; |
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When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone, |
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They shall have stars at elbow and foot; |
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Though they go mad they shall be sane, |
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Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again; |
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Though lovers be lost love shall not; |
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And death shall have no dominion. |
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And death shall have no dominion. |
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Under the windings of the sea |
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They lying long shall not die windily; |
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Twisting on racks when sinews give way, |
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Strapped to a wheel, yet they shall not break; |
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Faith in their hands shall snap in two, |
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And the unicorn evils run them through; |
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Split all ends up they shan't crack; |
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And death shall have no dominion. |
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And death shall have no dominion. |
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No more may gulls cry at their ears |
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Or waves break loud on the seashores; |
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Where blew a flower may a flower no more |
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Lift its head to the blows of the rain; |
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Though they be mad and dead as nails, |
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Heads of the characters hammer through daisies; |
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Break in the sun till the sun breaks down, |
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And death shall have no dominion.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Dylan |date=1943 |title=And death shall have no dominion |url=https://poets.org/poem/and-death-shall-have-no-dominion |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=Poets.org |language=en}}</ref></poem> |
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==Publication history== |
==Publication history== |
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In early 1933 Thomas befriended Bert Trick, a grocer who worked in the Uplands area of [[Swansea]].<ref>Ferris (1989), p. 79</ref> Trick was an amateur poet who had several poems published in local papers. In spring 1933 Trick suggested the two men both write a poem on the subject of 'immortality'. Trick's poem, which was published in a newspaper the following year, contained the refrain "For death is not the end."<ref name="Ferris183">Ferris (1989) p. 83</ref> In 1933, in a notebook marked 'April', Thomas wrote the poem "And death shall have no dominion". Trick persuaded him to seek a publisher and in May of that year it was printed in ''[[New English Weekly]]''.<ref name="Ferris183"/> |
In early 1933 Thomas befriended Bert Trick, a grocer who worked in the Uplands area of [[Swansea]].<ref>Ferris (1989), p. 79</ref> Trick was an amateur poet who had several poems published in local papers. In spring 1933 Trick suggested the two men both write a poem on the subject of 'immortality'. Trick's poem, which was published in a newspaper the following year, contained the refrain "For death is not the end."<ref name="Ferris183">Ferris (1989) p. 83</ref> In 1933, in a notebook marked 'April', Thomas wrote the poem "And death shall have no dominion". Trick persuaded him to seek a publisher and in May of that year it was printed in ''[[New English Weekly]]''.<ref name="Ferris183"/> |
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On 10 September 1936, two years after the release of his first volume of poetry (''[[18 Poems]]''), ''Twenty-five Poems'' was published. It revealed Thomas' personal beliefs pertaining to religion and the forces of nature, and included "And death shall have no dominion". |
On 10 September 1936, two years after the release of his first volume of poetry (''[[18 Poems]]''), ''Twenty-five Poems'' was published. It revealed Thomas's personal beliefs pertaining to religion and the forces of nature, and included "And death shall have no dominion". |
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==Cultural references== |
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==In popular culture== |
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The poem was set to music by [[Paul Kelly (Australian musician)|Paul Kelly]] in his album ''[[Nature (Paul Kelly album)|Nature]]'' (2018). The titles of the novels ''[[Cities in Flight#They Shall Have Stars|They Shall Have Stars]]'' (1956) by [[James Blish]] and ''[[No Dominion]]'' (2006) by [[Charlie Huston]] are both taken from the poem. [[Mithu Sanyal]] quotes the poem at length in her novel ''Identitti'' (2022). |
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* The Year One ''[[Space: 1999]]'' episode "[[Death's Other Dominion]]" is titled after the poem. |
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* The poem is featured significantly in the television series ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1987 TV series)|Beauty and the Beast]]''. |
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* It was used at the start and ending of the movie ''[[Omega Doom]]''. |
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* The titles of the novels ''They Shall Have Stars'' by [[James Blish]] and ''No Dominion'' by [[Charlie Huston]] are taken from the poem. |
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* In [[Brave Saint Saturn]]'s album ''[[Anti-Meridian (album)|Anti-Meridian]]'' the final five lines of the first verse open the CD, accompanied by music. |
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* In the film ''[[Truly, Madly, Deeply]]'' the title is quoted in a conversation about death. |
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* In the film ''[[The Weight of Water (film)|The Weight of Water]]'' from the [[The Weight of Water|book of the same title]] written by [[Anita Shreve]], Sean Penn in the role of melancholy poet Thomas Janes recites the last four lines of the first stanza. At the end of the film after Janes drowns, the film reprises his recitation of the second and third lines of this section, but this time the film leaves the last line poignantly unspoken. |
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* In the second and final part of the 2011 BBC TV miniseries ''[[The Field of Blood (TV series)|The Field of Blood]]'' the poem's second through ninth lines are recited from memory by character Dr. Pete, played by [[Peter Capaldi]], in a pub as he drunkenly faces his imminent death of cancer, seated alone. |
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* [[George Clooney]] recites part of the poem in the 2002 movie ''[[Solaris (2002 film)|Solaris]]''. |
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* In the 2003 film ''Rosenstrasse'' this poem is quoted as two Jewish women await deportation |
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to Auschwitz. |
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* In the Season 6 soundtrack of ''Lost'' the piece which shares its name with the poem is played while detailing Richard Alpert's life. |
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==Notes== |
==Notes== |
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==Bibliography== |
==Bibliography== |
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* {{cite book |
* {{cite book|last=Ferris|first=Paul|title=Dylan Thomas, A Biography|year=1989|publisher=Paragon House|location=New York|author-link=Paul Ferris (Welsh writer)|isbn=1-55778-215-6}} |
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==External links== |
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{{Bibliowiki|And Death Shall Have No Dominion}} |
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{{Dylan Thomas}} |
{{Dylan Thomas}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:And death shall have no dominion}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:And death shall have no dominion}} |
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[[Category:Anglo-Welsh literature]] |
[[Category:Anglo-Welsh literature]] |
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| ⚫ | |||
[[Category:Poetry by Dylan Thomas]] |
[[Category:Poetry by Dylan Thomas]] |
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[[Category:Poems about death]] |
[[Category:Poems about death]] |
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Latest revision as of 17:57, 9 December 2024
"And death shall have no dominion" is a poem written by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914–1953). The title comes from St. Paul's epistle to the Romans (6:9): "Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no dominion over him."[1] The poem portrays death as a guarantee of immortality,[2] drawing on imagery from John Donne's Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions.[1]
Poem
[edit]And death shall have no dominion.
Dead men naked they shall be one
With the man in the wind and the west moon;
When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone,
They shall have stars at elbow and foot;
Though they go mad they shall be sane,
Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again;
Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And death shall have no dominion.
And death shall have no dominion.
Under the windings of the sea
They lying long shall not die windily;
Twisting on racks when sinews give way,
Strapped to a wheel, yet they shall not break;
Faith in their hands shall snap in two,
And the unicorn evils run them through;
Split all ends up they shan't crack;
And death shall have no dominion.
And death shall have no dominion.
No more may gulls cry at their ears
Or waves break loud on the seashores;
Where blew a flower may a flower no more
Lift its head to the blows of the rain;
Though they be mad and dead as nails,
Heads of the characters hammer through daisies;
Break in the sun till the sun breaks down,
And death shall have no dominion.[3]
Publication history
[edit]In early 1933 Thomas befriended Bert Trick, a grocer who worked in the Uplands area of Swansea.[4] Trick was an amateur poet who had several poems published in local papers. In spring 1933 Trick suggested the two men both write a poem on the subject of 'immortality'. Trick's poem, which was published in a newspaper the following year, contained the refrain "For death is not the end."[5] In 1933, in a notebook marked 'April', Thomas wrote the poem "And death shall have no dominion". Trick persuaded him to seek a publisher and in May of that year it was printed in New English Weekly.[5]
On 10 September 1936, two years after the release of his first volume of poetry (18 Poems), Twenty-five Poems was published. It revealed Thomas's personal beliefs pertaining to religion and the forces of nature, and included "And death shall have no dominion".
Cultural references
[edit]The poem was set to music by Paul Kelly in his album Nature (2018). The titles of the novels They Shall Have Stars (1956) by James Blish and No Dominion (2006) by Charlie Huston are both taken from the poem. Mithu Sanyal quotes the poem at length in her novel Identitti (2022).
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b Maud, Ralph (2003). Where Have the Old Words Got Me?: Explications of Dylan Thomas's Collected Poems. McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-7735-2420-0.
- ^ Daiches, David (1954). "The Poetry of Dylan Thomas". College English. 16 (1): 1–8. doi:10.2307/371613. ISSN 0010-0994.
- ^ Thomas, Dylan (1943). "And death shall have no dominion". Poets.org. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ Ferris (1989), p. 79
- ^ a b Ferris (1989) p. 83
Bibliography
[edit]- Ferris, Paul (1989). Dylan Thomas, A Biography. New York: Paragon House. ISBN 1-55778-215-6.