Welsh poet and prose writer whose works are known for musical quality of the language, comic or visionary scenes and sensual images. Dylan Thomas was born in the seaport town Swansea, West Glamorgan. He received little formal education. His first book, dreamlike and sensuous 18 POEMS (1934), marked the appearance of an energetic voice in English poetry. The work was followed by TWENTY-FIVE POEMS (1936), which established his reputation. By the end of the 1930s, Thomas had gained fame in the literary circles, but he also suffered from depression and was afraid of losing inspiration. During World War II Thomas worked sporadically for the BBC, where his melodic voice made him a great favorite. Thomas's poetry is marked by vivid metaphors, the use of Christian and Freudian imagery, and celebration of the wonder of growth and death. Thomas's radio play UNDER THE MILK WOOD portrayed a small Welsh coastal town and was made in 1971 into a film starring Richard Burton and Elizabet Taylor. Dylan Thomas died in the United States on a tour on November 9, 1953.
