A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London Summary - Dylan Thomas - Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition

At a glance:

Author: Dylan Thomas
First Published: 1945
Type of Poem: Lyric
Genres: Poetry, Lyric poetry
Subjects: Children, World War II, Death or dying, London, Funeral rites or ceremonies, Bereavement or grief, Bombs, Afterlife, Fire, Life, philosophy of

The Poem

“A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London,” a poem of twenty-four lines divided into four stanzas of six lines each, follows the rhyme scheme abcabc. The title indicates the poet’s rejection of conventional means of responding to death. The refusal takes on greater force as it confronts the senseless casualty of a child to war; the fire refers to the firebombing of London during World War II.

The poem is written in the first person, and more is revealed about the poet who speaks than about the child who has died. The poet...

(The entire page is 1066 words.)

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