And Death Shall have no Dominion
The poem explores the theme of mortality and the afterlife, presenting a vision of death as a natural part of life that cannot be escaped or dominated by human power. It begins with a declaration that death will have no dominion over those who are loved and remembered, but this idea is quickly subverted as the speaker acknowledges that even their own body will eventually return to dust. The poem then shifts to a meditation on the cyclical nature of life and death, where the speaker imagines the dead being reborn into new forms, only to be reborn again in an endless cycle. Ultimately, the poem presents a bleak vision of existence, where death is not just an end, but also a beginning, and where the individual's consciousness is subsumed by the vast and impersonal forces of nature.
By Dylan Thomas · First published 1943 · Genre: Poetry, Modernist, Philosophical · 283 words
First lines
And death shall have no dominion.
Dead men naked shall be one With the man in the wind and the west moon; When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone,
They shall have stars at elbow and foot; Though they go mad they shall be sane, Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again; Though lovers be lost love shall not; And death shall have no dominion.
And death shall have no dominion.
What this Textopian page supports
And Death Shall have no Dominion is listed on Textopian as a poem by Dylan Thomas, dated 1943 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Dylan Thomas
- Date: 1943 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Modernist, Philosophical, Metaphysical
- Length: 283 words
- Structure: 1 section, 9 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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Similar titles
- Immortality by Emily Dickinson
- Requiem by Emily Dickinson
- Gone by Emily Dickinson
- We Never Know We Go When We Are Going by Emily Dickinson
- A Well by Emily Dickinson
- Void by Emily Dickinson
Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form, utilizing rhythm, meter, and vivid imagery typical of poetry.
- Modernist — The themes of existentialism, the cyclical nature of life and death, and the use of abstract imagery align with Modernist literary characteristics.
- Philosophical — The exploration of themes such as death, immortality, and the human condition reflects a philosophical inquiry.
- Metaphysical — The poem delves into metaphysical themes, contemplating the transcendence of death and the eternal nature of the soul.
Tags
Poetry · Death · Mortality · Existentialism · Philosophy · Spirituality · Faith · Hope · Resurrection · Afterlife · Elegy · Funeral