Comment 5 of 6, 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 3 of 6, 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

Comment 1 of 6, added on November 14th, 2004 at 11:14 PM.

The poem presence the effects of maturity by the gaining of sexuality yet the death of innocense and virginity. Maturity can be seen as stepping into the light and seeing all of the obstacles and problems that you are now going to face. The over-all and played out imagery of this lose of the darkening thrush of innocense and naivity is the spark of first experience sexuality which is like a "Light (that) breaks where no sun shines." The lifetime before the lose of virginity was a place "where no sea runs" because the physical effects of intercourse were not happening. But once the time came (I am stipulating that idealy this is noted with a dual intent upon the two virgins who are going into this act of intercourse both consenting their approval), the two lovers had "the waters of the heart/Push in their tides;" The proper physical reactions of the moistness and swelling where intiated by the heart, the center of love, and that of love making. Now the two virgin lovers who have decide to dive into their sexuality and let reality of obstacles and problems have just become "broken ghosts with glow-worms in their heads". They are "broken ghosts" because they have just killed any type of purity within themselves, so now they are doomed to death. The "Glow-worms" is a symbol of sex. The idea is that now that they have entered a world of physical pleasure that forever they will have consistent desires for physical things that won't ever bring them real pleasure because it will only bring them death in the end. The "worm" is a phallus symbol, but also a symbol for death because it represents the worm that eats away dead bodies. Innocense and purity offer everlasting life and delight, romantically speaking, because pleasure comes from the imagination which could last, idealy and pure, forever. But once sex and the loss of innocense is brought into the child then all light is shown on the difficulties of life. In Thomas' eyes, sex=light=death. Now that the two young lovers have stepped into the light "the things of light/File through the flesh where no flesh decks the bones." This means that the problems and obstacles of life are going to start effecting these nympos which in a sense are all ready dead.

Jeremiah Byars from United States