Poem Analysis - In The White Giants Thigh

Introduction: A Cycle of Life and Longing

Dylan Thomas's "In the White Giant's Thigh" is a rich and evocative poem, steeped in the imagery of rural Wales and the cycles of nature. The poem's tone is initially elegiac and mournful, reflecting on the lives and deaths of generations of women tied to the land. However, this sorrowful note is intertwined with a sense of enduring passion and the persistent desire for life and love, even in the face of mortality. The poem shifts between vivid recollections of past vitality and the present reality of dust and decay, creating a complex portrait of human existence.

The Land as a Metaphor for Female Fertility and Death

One of the central themes of the poem is the connection between the land and female fertility. The "white giant's thigh," a prominent chalk hill, serves as a potent symbol of both the female body and the enduring power of nature. The women are described as "barren as boulders," yet they "lie longing still/To labour and love." This paradox highlights the frustration of unfulfilled potential and the lingering echoes of past fertility. The land remembers and holds the echoes of their desires, even as their physical bodies have returned to dust. Thomas uses imagery of rivers meeting, flowing seed, and fertile fields to emphasize the natural cycle of life and the women's place within it. The poem suggests that even in death, their longing for connection and creation persists, ingrained in the very fabric of the landscape.

The Persistence of Desire and Memory

The theme of memory is intertwined with the theme of desire. The poem is filled with vibrant flashbacks of the women's lives: their youthful encounters in "courters' lanes," their work in the fields, and their passionate moments under the moonlight. These memories are not merely nostalgic; they are vital signs of the enduring power of human emotion. The speaker is "clasped to their grains in the gigantic glade," suggesting that he is both embraced by their memory and becoming part of it. Even though "the names on their weed grown stones are rained away," their essence remains, whispered on the wind and etched into the landscape. The curlews' cries become the voices of the departed women, eternally yearning for what was and what might have been. The details of their intimate moments, such as "firefly hairpins" and "breasts full of honey," reveal a past filled with sensory experiences, suggesting that these women fully embraced life.

Symbols of Fertility, Decay and Eternal Life

Recurring symbols such as the curlew, the hay, and the dust carry significant weight. The curlew's cry, mentioned at the beginning and end of the poem, serves as a lament and a call to remembrance. It's a sound that connects the present with the past, echoing the women's unfulfilled desires. Dust symbolizes mortality and the inevitable return to the earth, but it also contains the essence of past lives, hinting at a kind of cyclical existence. Hay evokes images of harvest, fertility, and the abundance of the land. The dust of their kettles and clocks mirrors the dust of their bodies, suggesting that every aspect of their domestic lives becomes part of the landscape's memory. The "Fawkes fires," a reference to Guy Fawkes Night bonfires, symbolize the daughters of darkness, burning still, suggesting their desires and passions are still alive, despite being dead. What could be said about 'Mother Goose's ground'? Are the women literally barren on this specific land, or is there an element of children's stories and fairytales being somehow tainted by reality?

Conclusion: An Everlasting Flame

"In the White Giant's Thigh" is a powerful meditation on the cycle of life, death, and the enduring human spirit. The poem celebrates the lives of ordinary women, immortalizing their desires and struggles in the landscape of rural Wales. Through vivid imagery and evocative language, Thomas creates a timeless portrait of female longing and the unbreakable connection between humanity and nature. The poem ultimately suggests that even in death, the flame of human passion continues to burn, echoing through the generations and resonating within the very earth itself. The women of the hill love forever; not a static, faded love, but **meridian** love, at its highest point, still flaming bright.