Colourful, complete poem analysis. Compiled by using previous test/ exam papers for 2025.
Themes: Childhood joy and innocence, The harmony and wonder of nature, The power of time, The end of childhood innocence, Nostalgia.
Type and form
ESSAY QUESTION
In the poem ‘Fern Hill’, colour is sym...
Dylan Thomas was born in
Wales in 1914. He died in
1953. He left school at the
age of 16 to pursue a
literary career. He was
famous for his original and
lyrical poetry and radio
broadcasts.
In the poem ‘Fern Hill’, he
reminisces about his joyful
childhood and reflects
upon the inevitability of
aging. ‘Fern Hill’ is an
Arcadian poem, meaning
that it describes the beauty
of the countryside in an
idyllic way.
@Juffrou_Ansie
, 2
Fern Hill – the title
This poem speaks of the beauty of an actual place named Fern Hill, where Thomas spent
time as a child. It is essentially a reflection on his happy times at this place. It is certainly
an autobiographical poem.
Childhood Celebration of childhood. The speaker’s rich and vivid
joy and descriptions centre on the happiness of childhood
innocence innocence.
Childhood joy and innocence – this poem is at its core a
celebration of childhood. The speaker was a happy and
innocent child and part of a harmonious world.
Children experience the specialness and harmony of
the world through their freedom and, paradoxically,
their security. They believe that they are safe to explore
and experience joy. There are no severe restrictions and
responsibilities on them.
The The beauty of nature The sense of being connected to
harmony and being “at” one with nature.
and wonder The speaker’s childhood joy is closely connected to
of nature playing outside. The poem suggests that real joy comes
from a sense of connection with the natural world. To
be young and innocent is to be one with nature. Nature
is a place filled with wonder, peace and harmony. As
@Juffrou_Ansie
, 3
the young speaker explored the landscape, the
personified elements of Nature seemed to be his
playmates. The speaker plays a role in the environment
he visits - he is both hunter and shepherd. (He is not
actually killing animals here.) His joy stems from the
fact that he is a part of nature and the landscape, rather
than apart from it. Adults are incapable of accessing
the sense of peace and harmony that comes from being
one with Nature
The power of Time grants short periods of childhood happiness.
time Nothing lasts forever and that all pleasures come to an
end.
Time – throughout the poem, time looms like a godlike
presence. Time grants the speaker a brief period of
childhood happiness. However, time also ensures that
nothing lasts forever and that childhood joys comes to
an end. Time is ultimately an all-powerful and
unstoppable force with ultimate control over humans.
The end of Children grow up, and lose their innocence.
childhood The poem implies that when children grow up, they lost
innocence the ‘grace’ of childhood and its joys. The Christian
concept of Grace is to experience God’s love. For the
speaker, childhood best represents such an
experience, and the end of childhood is thus a painful,
yet inevitable, fall from Grace. The references to the
Garden of Eden parallels childhood as akin to the
Garden of Eden. As people age, they lose their Grace,
just like Adam and Eve lost theirs. Just as Adam and Eve
were kicked out of Eden, the speaker “wakes to the
@Juffrou_Ansie
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