I have a confession to make: I just discovered a poem that I absolutely love. Yes, I know that I have spent this month writing about how much I hate poetry. Well, that was before I had heard any Dylan Thomas.
My new favourite poem is In My Craft or Sullen Art by Dylan Thomas. In it he describes how he writes for the sake of writing, not for money or recognition. I know that many of us can relate to this, whether our sullen art be writing, knitting, or playing music. There is a deep drive that impels us to practice our chosen craft.
The full text of the poem can be found here on Wikipedia (it is still under copyright, so I have not reproduced it here). I’ve also imbedded a YouTube video of Thomas reading the poem. It is very powerful, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Thank you for posting this – it was new to me too. It’s a powerfully evocative piece.
I wasn’t familar with this one, so thanks so much for posting it. Hearing a poet read their works is always so much better than reading it on the page/screen, so thank goodness it’s still under copyright. Are you familar with the Favorite Poem Project website?