"Poem in October" is Welsh poet Dylan Thomas's ecstatic reflection on the rhythms of life. The poem's speaker, celebrating his 30th birthday on a soft October morning in the countryside, climbs a hill to admire the view—and finds himself transported back into his childhood by an unexpected rush of sunlight. Human beings, this poem suggests, are eternally connected to the beautiful "mystery" of life, and their "heart's truth," first discovered in youth, never dies. This poem was first collected in Thomas's 1946 book Deaths and Entrances.

• Read the full text of “Poem in October”

• “Poem in October” Summary

• “Poem in October” Themes

  • 

    The Rhythm of Life and the Beauty of Aging

    Where this theme appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-70
  • 

    Humanity, Nature, and Spirituality

    Where this theme appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-70

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Poem in October”

  • Lines 1-4

    It was my ...
    ...    Priested shore

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 5-10

          ...
    ... and set forth.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 11-16

       My birthday ...
    ... all my days.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 17-20

    High tide and ...
    ... the town awoke.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 21-25

       A springful ...
    ... the hill's shoulder,

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 26-30

    Here were fond ...
    ... faraway under me.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 31-37

       Pale rain ...
    ... lark full cloud.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 38-45

          ...
    ... and red currants

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 46-52

    And I saw ...
    ... moved in mine.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 53-60

       These were ...
    ... water and singingbirds.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 61-67

       And there ...
    ... with October blood.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 68-70

          ...
    ... a year's turning.

    

    

    

    

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• “Poem in October” Symbols

  • 

    Summer and Autumn

    Where this symbol appears in the poem:

    • Lines 14-16: “And I rose /        In rainy autumn / And walked abroad in a shower of all my days.”
    • Lines 21-25: “   A springful of larks in a rolling / Cloud and the roadside bushes brimming with whistling /    Blackbirds and the sun of October /            Summery /        On the hill's shoulder,”
    • Line 40: “the weather turned around.”
    • Lines 41-45: “   It turned away from the blithe country / And down the other air and the blue altered sky /    Streamed again a wonder of summer /            With apples /        Pears and red currants”
    • Lines 53-57: “These were the woods the river and sea /            Where a boy /        In the listening / Summertime of the dead whispered the truth of his joy / To the trees and the stones and the fish in the tide.”
    • Lines 62-64: “the weather turned around. And the true /    Joy of the long dead child sang burning /            In the sun.”
    • Lines 66-67: “stood there then in the summer noon / Though the town below lay leaved with October blood.”
  • 

    Borders and Gates

    Where this symbol appears in the poem:

    • Lines 17-20: “High tide and the heron dived when I took the road /        Over the border /            And the gates / Of the town closed as the town awoke.”
    • Lines 35-37: “But all the gardens / Of spring and summer were blooming in the tall tales / Beyond the border and under the lark full cloud.”
  • 

    Climbing the Hill

    Where this symbol appears in the poem:

    • Line 25: “the hill's shoulder,”
    • Line 30: “the wood faraway under me.”
    • Lines 31-33: “ Pale rain over the dwindling harbour / And over the sea wet church the size of a snail /    With its horns through mist”
    • Lines 66-70: “stood there then in the summer noon / Though the town below lay leaved with October blood. /        O may my heart's truth /            Still be sung / On this high hill in a year's turning.”

• “Poem in October” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

  • Repetition

    

    

    

    

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    Where repetition appears in the poem:

    • Line 1: “It was my thirtieth year to heaven”
    • Line 2: “and”
    • Line 3: “And,” “and”
    • Line 7: “And”
    • Lines 11-12: “the water- / Birds and the birds of the winged trees”
    • Line 14: “And”
    • Line 16: “And”
    • Line 19: “And”
    • Line 20: “the town closed as the town awoke.”
    • Line 22: “and”
    • Line 23: “and”
    • Lines 38-40: “       There could I marvel /            My birthday / Away but the weather turned around.”
    • Line 41: “   It turned”
    • Line 42: “And”
    • Line 46: “And”
    • Line 50: “And”
    • Line 51: “And”
    • Line 58: “And”
    • Lines 61-62: “   And there could I marvel my birthday / Away but the weather turned around.”
    • Lines 65-66: “It was my thirtieth / Year to heaven”

  • Enjambment

    

    

    

    

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    Where enjambment appears in the poem:

    • Lines 3-4: “heron /            Priested”
    • Lines 11-12: “water- / Birds”
    • Lines 12-13: “name /    Above”
    • Lines 17-18: “road /        Over”
    • Lines 21-22: “rolling / Cloud”
    • Lines 22-23: “whistling /    Blackbirds”
    • Lines 23-25: “October /            Summery /        On”
    • Lines 26-27: “suddenly / Come”
    • Lines 27-28: “listened /        To”
    • Lines 29-30: “cold / In”
    • Lines 33-34: “castle /            Brown”
    • Lines 35-36: “gardens / Of”
    • Lines 36-37: “tales / Beyond”
    • Lines 38-39: “marvel /            My”
    • Lines 39-40: “birthday / Away”
    • Lines 42-43: “sky /    Streamed”
    • Lines 46-47: “child's / Forgotten”
    • Lines 47-48: “mother /        Through”
    • Lines 48-49: “parables /            Of”
    • Lines 53-54: “sea /            Where”
    • Lines 54-55: “boy /        In”
    • Lines 55-56: “listening / Summertime”
    • Lines 58-59: “mystery /            Sang”
    • Lines 59-60: “alive / Still”
    • Lines 61-62: “birthday / Away”
    • Lines 62-63: “true /    Joy”
    • Lines 63-64: “burning /            In”
    • Lines 65-66: “thirtieth / Year”
    • Lines 68-69: “truth /            Still”
    • Lines 69-70: “sung / On”

  • Metaphor

    

    

    

    

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    Where metaphor appears in the poem:

    • Lines 12-13: “the birds of the winged trees flying my name /    Above the farms and the white horses”
    • Line 16: “a shower of all my days.”
    • Lines 48-49: “the parables /            Of sun light”
    • Line 50: “the green chapels”
    • Line 67: “Though the town below lay leaved with October blood.”

  • Personification

    

    

    

    

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    Where personification appears in the poem:

    • Lines 3-4: “heron /            Priested shore”
    • Line 6: “water praying”
    • Line 10: “the still sleeping town”
    • Lines 19-20: “the gates / Of the town closed as the town awoke”
    • Line 25: “the hill's shoulder,”
    • Line 26: “fond climates”
    • Lines 58-60: “And the mystery /            Sang alive / Still in the water and singingbirds.”

  • Imagery

    

    

    

    

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    Where imagery appears in the poem:

    • Line 7: “the knock of sailing boats on the net webbed wall”
    • Lines 21-25: “A springful of larks in a rolling / Cloud and the roadside bushes brimming with whistling /    Blackbirds and the sun of October /            Summery /        On the hill's shoulder,”
    • Lines 31-34: “   Pale rain over the dwindling harbour / And over the sea wet church the size of a snail /    With its horns through mist and the castle /            Brown as owls”
    • Lines 42-43: “the blue altered sky /    Streamed again a wonder of summer”
    • Line 50: “And the legends of the green chapels”
    • Line 52: “his tears burned my cheeks”
    • Lines 62-64: “the true /    Joy of the long dead child sang burning /            In the sun.”

  • Assonance

    

    

    

    

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    Where assonance appears in the poem:

    • Line 1: “year,” “heaven”
    • Line 2: “hearing,” “harbour,” “neighbour”
    • Line 3: “heron”
    • Line 5: “beckon”
    • Line 6: “water,” “call,” “rook”
    • Line 7: “net webbed,” “wall”
    • Line 8: “set,” “foot”
    • Line 9: “second”
    • Line 10: “set”
    • Line 16: “walked abroad”
    • Line 17: “High tide,” “dived”
    • Line 20: “closed,” “awoke”
    • Line 22: “brimming,” “whistling”
    • Line 23: “sun”
    • Line 24: “Summery”
    • Lines 26-27: “suddenly / Come”
    • Line 29: “blow cold”
    • Line 31: “Pale rain”
    • Line 34: “Brown,” “owls”
    • Line 37: “cloud”
    • Lines 39-40: “birthday / Away”
    • Line 40: “around”

• “Poem in October” Vocabulary

  Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

  • My thirtieth year to heaven
  • The net webbed wall
  • Brimming
  • Fond climates
  • Horns
  • Marvel
  • Blithe
  • Parables
  • Infancy
  • (Location in poem: Line 1: “my thirtieth year to heaven”)

• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Poem in October”

  • Form

  • Meter

  • Rhyme Scheme

• “Poem in October” Speaker

• “Poem in October” Setting

• Literary and Historical Context of “Poem in October”

• More “Poem in October” Resources

  • External Resources

    • A Brief Biography — Learn more about Thomas's life and work at the Poetry Foundation's website.

    • The Poem Aloud — Listen to Dylan Thomas himself reading the poem aloud (and get a sense of how he heard its swinging rhythms).

    • Thomas's Legacy — Visit the website of the Dylan Thomas Centre to learn about Thomas's enduring influence.

    • A Portrait of Thomas — Take a look at a portrait of Thomas and learn something about his rowdy reputation. (His portraitist, Augustus John, remembers that Thomas was more likely to pose patiently if you gave him a bottle of beer to keep him quiet!)

    • Thomas on Art — Listen to a recording of one of Thomas's final public appearances, in which he wittily discusses film and poetry.

  • LitCharts on Other Poems by Dylan Thomas

    • A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London

    • Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

    • Fern Hill

    • In My Craft or Sullen Art

    • The force that through the green fuse drives the flower

    • The Hand That Signed the Paper

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