Dylan-thomas Quote by Dylan Thomas
““WHERE ONCE THE WATERS ON YOUR FACE Where once the waters of your face Spun to my screws, your dry ghost blows, The dead turns up its eye; Where once the mermen through your ice Pushed up their hair, the dry wind steers Through salt and root and roe. Where once your green knots sank their splice Into the tided cord, there goes The green unraveller, His scissors oiled, his knife hung loose To cut the channels at their source And lay the wet fruits low. Invisible, your clocking tides Break on the lovebeds of the weeds; The weed of love’s left dry; There round about your stones the shades Of children go who, from their voids, Cry to the dolphined sea. Dry as a tomb, your coloured lids Shall not be latched while magic glides Sage on the earth and sky; There shall be corals in your beds, There shall be serpents in your tides, Till all our sea-faiths die.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: “The Sea” (excerpt), 1934
A vivid, surreal meditation on loss, memory, and the inexorable flow of time, using sea imagery to convey emotional desolation and hope for renewal.
In simple terms: A poetic reflection on change and loss.
Key Takeaway
Embrace change, seek renewal.
Themes
loss
memory
change
nature
renewal
Mood
melancholic
hopeful
contemplative
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- grief counseling
- creative writing
- environmental activism
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
surrealism
symbolism
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does the sea symbolize your personal transformations?
- What does the “green unraveller” represent in your life?
A Different Perspective
The abstract language may obscure practical guidance.
