Getting Down with Dylan

A record of his struggle from darkness to some measure of light.

The what, when, and where of Dylan Thomas's life

Although Dylan was born in Swansea, Wales on October 27, 1914, his father David John never taught him how to speak Welsh.

Naturally being that his dad was the senior english master at the Swansea Grammer School, it was his fathers wish for him to go there.

This did not last however because being the more adventures one, Dylan, left the school at age 17 to go work as a junior reporter for the South Wales Daily Post.

During this time he also acted with his sister at the Swansea Little Theater Company.

Then at just 18 years of age, in 1932, he quit his job and started to work on poetry full time. This is when he created over two thirds of his poetry.

Just two short years after this he won the poets prize as well as published his first book.

Liking things a little out of the ordinary Dylan started seeing his future wife, Caitlin. After sever strange meeting at hotels, which were conveniently charged to her lover Augustus John. Naturally John was not very happy and he and Dylan fought, John of course was the victor of the fight, but Dylan won the war because it only made their relationship more serious and lead to them getting married (against his parents will).

Much later ,1943, after Dylan has been touring in America his poetry gets put on the air.

Then even later in 1950 after more tours he publishes 25 new poems. During this time he had become so well known that he even rode back to England with Queen Elizibeth.

During his american tours Dylan had two affairs with Pear Kazin and Lis Reitell which put alot of stress on his marrage.

Then on November 5th he collapes in the Chealsea Hotel, New York, and is rushed to St. Vincent's Hospital where he dies 4 days later on November 9th, 1953. At this time he was just 39 years old.

This was the main street of downtown Swansea as Dylan would have seen it

Dylan was born at No. 5 Cwmdonkin Drive Swansea, Wales, on October 27, 1914.

As Dylan often talked about things in his life in his poems, these lines are talking about his hometown.

"I was born in a large Welsh industrial town at the beginning of the Great War: an ugly, lovely town (or so it was, and is, to me)"

An Articulate Alcoholic

Although it may have been an exaggeration dylan is known for his statement,"I've had eighteen strait whiskeys, i think that is a record."

Another drinking statement that became well known was, "An alcoholic is someone you don't like, who drinks as much as you."

Although excessive drinking was what was announced to the public as the reason for his death. this could have also been due to his smoking habit, or an over injection of morphine at the hospital.