Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines - A poem by Dylan Thomas

Dylan Thomas - Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines

Light breaks where no sun shines;
Where no sea runs, the waters of the heart
Push in their tides;
And, broken ghosts with glowworms in their heads,
The things of light
File through the flesh where no flesh decks the bones.

A candle in the thighs
Warms youth and seed and burns the seeds of age;
Where no seed stirs,
The fruit of man unwrinkles in the stars,
Bright as a fig;
Where no wax is, the candle shows its hairs.

Dawn breaks behind the eyes;
From poles of skull and toe the windy blood
Slides like a sea;
Nor fenced, nor staked, the gushers of the sky
Spout to the rod
Divining in a smile the oil of tears.

Night in the sockets rounds,
Like some pitch moon, the limit of the globes;
Day lights the bone;
Where no cold is, the skinning gales unpin
The winter's robes;
The film of spring is hanging from the lids.

Light breaks on secret lots,
On tips of thought where thoughts smell in the rain;
When logics die,
The secret of the soil grows through the eye,
And blood jumps in the sun;
Above the waste allotments the dawn halts.

Added: on April 19th, 2006 at 4:40 PM | Viewed: 6192 times | Comments (5)

Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines - Comments and Information
Poet: Dylan Thomas Poem: Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines Volume: 18 Poems Year: Published/Written in 1934 Comment 5 of 5, added on June 2nd, 2006 at 10:50 AM. The sexual imagery is obvious on a first or second reading, but I think Thomas is digging for something a little deeper than a strictly physical meaning. Although I have not worked out the complete interpretation, I believe he is commenting on the connection between our human bodies and the earth. Within us we have moving "water" where "no sea runs." When we get down to the basics--the bones and the candle wick ("where no wax is the candle shows its hairs)--that is where elemental things are somewhat the same. Once we die and no longer have "light" behind our eyes (in our brains), then the seeds of the earth grow through our decaying bodies and the blood that once flowed in our veins becomes part of the earth again. I am still working on understanding this poem, but these are some thoughts. S. Poff from United States Comment 4 of 5, added on May 15th, 2006 at 1:43 AM. the poem seems to portray an individual's first experience of phallic gratification which leads him to a kind of fulfilment.yet this fulfilment is only partial because it is accompanied by a sense of loss of chastity and purity of the body and the mind.therefore the act of sexual intercourse is a kind of enlightenment to him, it is like light breaking upon darkness or ignorance or even innocence, thus illuminating it. the loss in the process of illumination is the loss of purity of the body , the idea which is ingrained into the consciousness of yhe individual. sree.sin from India Comment 3 of 5, added on April 19th, 2006 at 4:40 PM. Clearly Thomas trying to be a smartalec. Alusion to homosexual (anal) intercourse with younger partners drenched in heavy imagery and cadence to by pass it as a normal poem: Light breaks where no sun shines; "Something new happening in the anal area" Where no sea runs, the waters of the heart Push in their tides; "Where there was none now love pushes in it tides" A candle in the thighs Warms youth and seed and burns the seeds of age; Where no seed stirs, The fruit of man unwrinkles in the stars, Bright as a fig; Where no wax is, the candle shows its hairs. "the old man having an erection" the gushers of the sky Spout to the rod no comment J Lo from United States More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines, has received 5 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Dylan Thomas with others on the Poetry Connection poetry forum!

Poem Info
Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines Volume: 18 Poems Year: Published/Written in 1934 Last read: 2008-05-13 05:10:26 Viewed 6192 times. Added on April 19th, 2006 at 4:40 PM.

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