Poem Analysis - This Bread I Break

A Somber Reflection on Consumption

Dylan Thomas's "This Bread I Break" is a short but potent meditation on the cycle of life, death, and consumption. The poem's tone is initially reflective, almost liturgical, but gradually shifts to a more personal and accusatory stance. It uses simple, agricultural imagery to explore profound themes of sacrifice, exploitation, and the interconnectedness of all living things. The poem leaves the reader with a sense of unease about the act of eating and the cost of sustenance.

The Author and the Land: Welsh Roots

While not explicitly biographical, Thomas's Welsh background is relevant. Wales has a strong connection to the land and agriculture, and this poem echoes that deep connection. The rural imagery of oats, wine, and vines suggests a rootedness in nature and a respect for the processes of farming and harvesting, something very familiar to Welsh history and culture. This background informs the poem's reverence for the natural world, and the sense of violation when those natural processes are disrupted.

Sacrifice and Desolation: A Cycle of Life and Death

One of the primary themes is the inevitability of sacrifice. The poem emphasizes how the bread and wine, representing life-sustaining nourishment, come at the expense of other living things. The opening lines explicitly state that "This bread I break was once the oat," and "This wine upon a foreign tree / Plunged in its fruit." This highlights the death inherent in the act of eating. The poem goes on to develop the theme of desolation. The lines "Make desolation in the vein, / Were oat and grape / Born of the sensual root and sap;" illustrates that the act of consumption brings about a form of desolation or ruin, as the life-force is extracted from the oat and grape.

Man's Dominion and Disruption: A Reckoning

A central theme revolves around man's exploitation of nature. The lines "Man in the day or wine at night / Laid the crops low, broke the grape's joy" suggest a forceful and possibly reckless intervention in the natural order. The later lines "Man broke the sun, pulled the wind down" are even more forceful, implying not just harvesting, but a more profound and destructive act of domination over the elemental forces of nature. This theme isn't presented as necessarily malicious, but as an inherent part of human survival and existence, raising questions about responsibility and the balance between need and exploitation.

Blood and Body: Communion or Condemnation?

The images of "flesh" and "blood" are recurring and potent. Initially, they seem to refer to the substance of the grape and the oat, representing their vitality. However, the lines "This flesh you break, this blood you let / Make desolation in the vein" suggest a more personal and potentially accusatory tone. The speaker seems to equate their own body (flesh and blood) with the oat and grape, implying that the act of eating is also a form of consuming the speaker. The use of "you" creates a direct address, placing the reader in the position of the consumer, and potentially suggesting a form of vampirism or sacrifice. Is it a condemnation, or a somber observation of shared mortality? The ambiguity makes the reader question the morality of our existence.

Final Reflections: A Bitter Taste of Reality

In conclusion, "This Bread I Break" is a powerful exploration of the interconnectedness of life, death, and consumption. Thomas uses agricultural imagery and simple language to convey complex themes of sacrifice, exploitation, and human impact on the natural world. The poem's unsettling tone and direct address challenge the reader to confront the realities of sustenance and consider the cost of our existence. It is a poem that leaves a lingering sense of unease and a deeper awareness of the violence inherent in the simplest act of eating.