Thinking that I had not finished it, I just reread this to the same ending as before, but with more reflection and more benefit; it is a deeply interesting topic that I most relate to through the channel of “Mindset” by Dr. Carol Dweck, a work that changed my life and teaching career, but perhaps only because I took an extra course to reinforce it.
I can only believe that Dylan Thomas was overwhelmed by praise, which I classify as being one of the most dangerous things we can do to human beings. The only thing we can safely praise (and we should) is effort, but even that robs from the one who did the work. I now try to ask a praiseworthy person how they feel about what they did, keeping the focus on them instead of on how I feel.
At least Thomas was able to keep his vocal skills alive, although he was probably praised for that as well.
"My hunch is that Thomas could not find a comfortable home in the varieties of institutional Christianity available to him within which to place his sincere, though decidedly atavistic, religious intuitions. His poetry, then, became a kind of church of the imaginal for him." Thank you for holding up this mirror for me.
Somehow, I have never gotten around to reading Dylan Thomas. So, yet another part of my education that requires backfilling; it never seems to end! I look forward to reading Part II.
Thanks for this brilliant piece, Michael. It has me digging around in my shelves for a poem or two "quite early one morning." Atavistic druidry indeed!
Thinking that I had not finished it, I just reread this to the same ending as before, but with more reflection and more benefit; it is a deeply interesting topic that I most relate to through the channel of “Mindset” by Dr. Carol Dweck, a work that changed my life and teaching career, but perhaps only because I took an extra course to reinforce it.
I can only believe that Dylan Thomas was overwhelmed by praise, which I classify as being one of the most dangerous things we can do to human beings. The only thing we can safely praise (and we should) is effort, but even that robs from the one who did the work. I now try to ask a praiseworthy person how they feel about what they did, keeping the focus on them instead of on how I feel.
At least Thomas was able to keep his vocal skills alive, although he was probably praised for that as well.
yep, praise can go to a feller's head--celebrity is not a good thing, even for such low-paying gigs as poet or philosopher
A really beautiful essay. Thank you! I am inspired to revisit Thomas after a long time away from his poems.
Thanks!
"My hunch is that Thomas could not find a comfortable home in the varieties of institutional Christianity available to him within which to place his sincere, though decidedly atavistic, religious intuitions. His poetry, then, became a kind of church of the imaginal for him." Thank you for holding up this mirror for me.
Somehow, I have never gotten around to reading Dylan Thomas. So, yet another part of my education that requires backfilling; it never seems to end! I look forward to reading Part II.
Thanks for including the recording of him reading.
I love Dylan Thomas. Thanks for the piece.
Thanks for this brilliant piece, Michael. It has me digging around in my shelves for a poem or two "quite early one morning." Atavistic druidry indeed!