Discuss the Ways in Which Thomas Presents His Feelings in ‘Words’

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In this atypical poem, Thomas defines his unique relationship with Poetry. It is clear from the start that the poet has an innate passion for words, and he sees the poem as a means of expressing this. There are some defiant techniques which are used to demonstrate this, explained below. To begin with, the structure of the poem enhances Thomas’ view of the primacy of words. The line lengths are kept short, some singling out individual words. These single word lines, such as “equally” attract the reader’s eye, in a way pedestalling it in an attempt to show the reader the fascination and awe of each word. “Words” is written mostly in free verse, with some rhyme but no distinct pattern of it. Perhaps this indicates the overwhelming exasperation that words have given Thomas: a feeling which can’t be contained in a strict structured poem. As “Words” is a tribute to language, the structure must be as unpredictable as its subject is. One of the principal techniques Thomas uses is the anthropomorphism of words. The first stanza establishes his unique view on them; the language used to personify their qualities result in equality between man and language. A similar notion appears again in “As the winds use/ A crack in a wall”: again personification is used to humble the human in comparison with nature and language in an attempt for us to augment our respect. This particular line alludes to Shelly’s “Ode to the West Wind”: “Make me thy lyre, even as the forest is”. Likewise to Shelly, Thomas explains how nature, and extending to language, control him as opposed to the traditional converse idea. Correspondingly, the phrase “will you choose” is used as slight motif in the initial stanza implicating the domination of words over Thomas. He is powerless to their choice, and the antithesis of his emotions through "their joy or their pain" demonstrate his vulnerability to them.

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