Poem Analysis - From Loves First Fever To Her Plague

A Journey from Innocence to Experience

Dylan Thomas's "From Love's First Fever To Her Plague" is a dense and evocative exploration of the human life cycle, tracing a path from prenatal existence to mature consciousness. The poem adopts a tone that is both celebratory of life's potential and lamenting its inevitable decay. It is characterized by rich, sensory language and a sense of profound, almost mystical connection to the natural world. The mood shifts from a blissful unity to a fractured awareness, reflecting the speaker's growing understanding of mortality and separation. This analysis will delve into themes of growth, knowledge, and the fracturing of unity to understand how Thomas depicts the human experience.

Genesis and Growth: A Unified World

The initial stanzas of the poem focus on the speaker's pre-natal and early childhood experiences, presenting a world of seamless integration. The lines "All world was one, one windy nothing, / My world was christened in a stream of milk. / And earth and sky were as one airy hill" suggest a primordial unity where distinctions are blurred. Imagery of "milk" and "airy hill" evokes innocence, purity, and a comforting sense of belonging. The theme of growth is explored through the development of the physical body, with vivid descriptions like "teeth in the marrowed gums" and "the growing bones." These details, though visceral, celebrate the burgeoning potential of life. This section shows how the speaker begins as an integrated part of the world.

The Acquisition of Knowledge and the Loss of Innocence

As the speaker matures, the poem traces the acquisition of knowledge and the accompanying loss of innocence. The phrase "And from the first declension of the flesh / I learnt man's tongue, to twist the shapes of thoughts / Into the stony idiom of the brain" signifies a shift from instinctual experience to intellectual understanding. The "stony idiom of the brain" contrasts sharply with the earlier imagery of fluid milk and airy hills, suggesting a hardening and ossification of perception. This theme of acquired knowledge also carries undertones of mortality. Thomas writes "The root of tongues ends in a spentout cancer, / That but a name, where maggots have their X," implying that language, the very tool of knowledge, ultimately leads to decay and oblivion. This reinforces the sense that experience leads to an awareness of death.

Fragmentation and the Duality of Existence

The poem progresses toward a sense of fragmentation and the duality of existence. The line "From the divorcing sky I learnt the double, / The two-framed globe that spun into a score" suggests a separation from the original unity and an increasing awareness of division and multiplicity. The "two-framed globe" could symbolize the opposing forces within the self or the inherent contradictions of the world. The multiplication of the self ("One wound, one mind, spewed out the matter") underscores the fragmentation of consciousness. This duality can also be interpreted as the tension between the ideal and the real, or the spiritual and the material. By fragmenting the self, the speaker shows the struggle to reconcile these opposing forces.

A Cyclical View of Life and Death

In conclusion, "From Love's First Fever To Her Plague" is a powerful meditation on the human condition, tracing a cyclical path from the initial unity of existence to the fragmented awareness of mortality. Thomas uses evocative imagery and symbolic language to explore themes of growth, knowledge, and the inherent duality of life. The poem's significance lies in its unflinching portrayal of the human journey, acknowledging both the beauty of creation and the inevitability of decay. The poem leaves the reader with a sense of acceptance, suggesting that life and death are simply two sides of the same coin. This suggests the poem's ultimate purpose is to show how all phases of existence are intertwined.