In My Craft or Sullen Art by Dylan Thomas
"In My Craft or Sullen Art" by Dylan Thomas is a reflective poem that serves as a declaration of the poet's intentions and artistic identity. It explores the duality of the creative process, emphasizing both the care and craftsmanship involved in poetry, alongside the deeper, often burdensome emotional connections that drive the artist. The poem opens with a contrast between the meticulousness of poetic creation and the "sullen" aspects of the poet's experience, hinting at the struggles and frustrations inherent in artistic expression.
Thomas employs the familiar Romantic motif of the solitary artist, suggesting that his pursuits are fueled by profound human emotions, particularly love and grief. As he asserts his commitment to authenticity over superficial accolades, the poem reveals a tension between personal ambition and a dedication to the broader human experience. The imagery of the artist as a social exile underscores his rejection of worldly recognition, while simultaneously highlighting the importance of genuine emotional expression.
The poem's structure, characterized by flowing rhythms and carefully crafted rhyme, enhances its lyrical quality and emotional resonance. Ultimately, Thomas advocates for the notion of art created not for fame or power, but as a compassionate response to the human condition, serving both the artist and the lovers who inspire his work. This complex interplay between craft, emotion, and humanity makes "In My Craft or Sullen Art" a significant exploration of the poet's role in society and the intrinsic value of creativity.
On this Page
In My Craft or Sullen Art by Dylan Thomas
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1945 (collected in Selected Poems, 1934-1952, 2003)
Type of work: Poem
The Work
Along with the prologue that he wrote for the first edition of his Collected Poems, 1934-1952 (1952), “In My Craft or Sullen Art” is a carefully designed declaration by Thomas of what he wanted the future to think of him as a poet. The conscious intent to shape his persona, however, does not betray his real convictions, though it tends to direct the reader toward certain areas of concern that he preferred to emphasize. The dual focus of the first line properly stresses the care for craft and the almost mystical connection to what Hall calls “a dark river flowing down there somewhere.” Yet the use of the word “sullen” is a typically inspired choice, revealing the frustrating and unsatisfying aspects of the gift that he carried. The poem continues with the conventional Romantic emblem of the artist at work by night, his passion an antisocial one (“only the moon rages”), his energy drawn from the love/grief of humanity. It then turns abruptly to the kind of booming declaration of power that both Thomas and his audience treasured: “I labour by singing light,” he proclaims. Then, in contradiction to most of the actions of his life and most of the more honest confessions of his poetry, he insists that it is not “the strut and trade of charms” that drives him, but the heart’s truth that he has often celebrated. The mastery of rhythm and the powerful emphasis of careful rhyme are so seductive that the appealing message becomes the reality, although it is important to note that Thomas is actually speaking for some idealized poet as much as for himself.
The second stanza, which, like the first, is as much one long flowing line as it is separated shorter ones, continues the theme of the artist as social exile, denying an interest in political power (“the proud man”) or posterity (“the towering dead”), while emphasizing again the call to poetic expression that originates in the heart’s core. Using the technique of opposing forces, which he found to be one of his most successful structural devices, Thomas sets the superficial reasons for artistic endeavor in sufficiently impressive terms (“towering dead”) that his ultimate commitment to “the lovers” becomes a heroic act of humanistic compassion channeled into poetic art. The relatively unselfish nature of this choice—the lovers “pay no praise or wages/ Nor heed my craft or art”—suggests the Romantic ideal of art for art’s sake, which Thomas implies actually serves the interests of humanity in its support of “the lovers” since his craft/art springs from and validates the human need for love. As in the first stanza, the carefully controlled pattern of rhythmic emphasis and the sure ear for rhyme that makes its appearance inevitable instead of obligatory contribute to the seductive power of the song.
Bibliography
Brinnin, John Malcolm. Dylan Thomas in America. Boston: Little, Brown, 1955.
Corman, Cid. “For the Lovers (Dylan Thomas).” In And Their Word: Essays on theArts of Language. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Black Sparrow Press, 1978.
Ferris, Paul. Dylan Thomas: A Biography. New York: Dial Press, 1977.
Goodby, John, and Chris Wigginton, eds. Dylan Thomas. New York: Palgrave, 2001.
Hall, Donald. “Dylan Thomas and Public Suicide.” In Remembering Poets: Reminiscences and Opinions. New York: Harper & Row, 1977.
Hardy, Barbara. Dylan Thomas: An Original Language. Athens: University of George Press, 2000.
Lycett, Andrew. Dylan Thomas: A New Life. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003.
Maud, Ralph. Where Have the Old Words Got Me? Explications of Dylan Thomas’s Collected Poems. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2002.
Sinclair, Andrew. Dylan the Bard: A Life of Dylan Thomas. London: Constable, 1999.
Thomas, Caitlin. Life with Dylan Thomas. New York: Henry Holt, 1987.
Tytell, John. “Dylan and Caitlin.” In Passionate Lives. Secaucus, N.J.: Carol, 1991.