The finest examples of Thomas's poetry can be found in his Collected Poems, released in 1971.

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog and Adventures in the Skin Trade and Other Stories are Thomas's two fictional works, which reflect his tumultuous life more than his poetry does.

Ralph Maud, an insightful and accessible literary critic, published Entrances to Dylan Thomas' Poetry in 1963. This book provides the general reader with a solid introduction to understanding Thomas's poems, stories, and plays, as well as offering insights into Thomas himself, with a focus on his creative works.

In The Denial of Death, psychologist Ernest Becker interprets human behavior through the lens of death anxiety. According to Becker's analysis, the narrator of this poem would be seen as experiencing panic when confronted with a death that feels intimately close.