Thomas has a very distinctive eye for the miniature of nature, often overlooked by others. Explore his appreciation of the natural world in the poem ‘But These Things Also.’
‘All the white things man mistakes/For earliest violets’
Thomas has a very distinctive eye for the miniature of nature, often overlooked by others. Explore his appreciation of the natural world in the poem ‘But These Things Also.’
But These Things Also is a poem that presents us with an alternative view of Winter and Spring. Similarities are drawn between the two seasons, and Thomas explains how the two are not separate entities, but instead merge into one another until they are inseparable. Thomas' connection with nature, and the time that he would spend immersing himself within it allowed him to develop an intense and unique view of Britain's countryside, as can be seen throughout much of his poetry. But These Things Also can be linked to both March, and This Is No Case of Petty Right or Wrong. The language of But These Things Also is descriptive, and Thomas uses imagery throughout. Many of the images that Thomas creates are white, which has associations with Winter, rather than green, which has associations with Spring. This is relevant because Thomas is attributing them to Spring, and not to Winter where one might have thought that they would belong. The lexis of the poem is very much concerned with nature, thus highlighting the smaller elements that one would normally disassociate from the two seasons. Thomas mentions flint, chalk, and small birds' dung; not particularly romanticised ideas, but with the line 'In splashes of purest white', Thomas gives them qualities which alone they would not necessarily contain. The cacophony of 'chip of flint, and mite of chalk' is crisp and sharp, like winter. The harsh soundscapes reflect the harsh landscape of winter, that gives way to the softer, more euphonic landscape of spring as the poem progresses. The language within But These Things Also is reminiscent of Thomas' poem March. Both are about Spring, yet the latter seems to have a much more melancholic take to the situation. But These Things Also demonstrates
Thomas has a very distinctive eye for the miniature of nature, often overlooked by others. Explore his appreciation of the natural world in the poem ‘But These Things Also.’
But These Things Also is a poem that presents us with an alternative view of Winter and Spring. Similarities are drawn between the two seasons, and Thomas explains how the two are not separate entities, but instead merge into one another until they are inseparable. Thomas' connection with nature, and the time that he would spend immersing himself within it allowed him to develop an intense and unique view of Britain's countryside, as can be seen throughout much of his poetry. But These Things Also can be linked to both March, and This Is No Case of Petty Right or Wrong. The language of But These Things Also is descriptive, and Thomas uses imagery throughout. Many of the images that Thomas creates are white, which has associations with Winter, rather than green, which has associations with Spring. This is relevant because Thomas is attributing them to Spring, and not to Winter where one might have thought that they would belong. The lexis of the poem is very much concerned with nature, thus highlighting the smaller elements that one would normally disassociate from the two seasons. Thomas mentions flint, chalk, and small birds' dung; not particularly romanticised ideas, but with the line 'In splashes of purest white', Thomas gives them qualities which alone they would not necessarily contain. The cacophony of 'chip of flint, and mite of chalk' is crisp and sharp, like winter. The harsh soundscapes reflect the harsh landscape of winter, that gives way to the softer, more euphonic landscape of spring as the poem progresses. The language within But These Things Also is reminiscent of Thomas' poem March. Both are about Spring, yet the latter seems to have a much more melancholic take to the situation. But These Things Also demonstrates