Summary of Every Morning I Wake by Dylan Thomas | Poem | Class XII English Note

Every Morning I Wake by Dylan Thomas

Summary

‘Every Morning I Wake’ is an extract from Under Milk Wood (1953), a radio play, written by Dylan Thomas. The play which was set in a small Welsh town called Llareggub, covers one day in the lives of its provincial characters. In the poem, Thomas prays to Almighty God to have mercy on ordinary inhabitants living under the Milk Wood.

The poem is the sermon of Reverend Eli Jenkins, the town preacher in the play ‘Under the Milk Wood’. The speaker seems to be kind to other people. Every morning he prays to God to have mercy on all poor townspeople under the wood. The people are fated to be born and die. As long as they are alive, they need help and to be protected.

Every evening the speaker asks the lord a blessing to protect the town. However, he doesn’t know whether the people will be alive after the night. He is certain that they are always blessed. He declares that no one in the town is completely bad or good. He hopes that God will see and judge them on their best traits and not their worst. At the end of the poem, the speaker says that the inhabitants under Milk Wood will bow to the sun and bids good bye as they are hoping to see the sunshine the next day.

The poem seems to be the helpless voice of tiny wisps of transient flesh and bone, pleading to be noticed by their Creator. It sums up with a message that we who are so imperfect trying and hoping and praying that God may value and preserve the best of what we can come up with in our lives.

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. When does the speaker pray to the Lord?

The speaker prays to the Lord every morning and evening.

b. What does the speaker pray for?

The speaker prays for having mercy on all poor creatures born to die.

c. Who are the ‘poor creatures’? Why does the speaker call them ‘poor creatures’?

The poor creatures are the inhabitants of the town under Milk Wood. The speaker calls them poor creatures because they are helpless and indifferent.

d. What does Milk Wood sound like? A type of wood or a place? Why?

Milk Wood sounds like a type of forest with trees with grey trunks.

e. Why do the inhabitants of Milk Wood bow to the setting sun ‘but just for now’?

The inhabitants of Milk Wood bow the setting sun ‘but just for now’ for hopping to see the sunshine the next day.

Reference to the context

a. Discuss “Every Morning When I Wake” as a prayer to the God.

The poem is in the form of a prayer to God. (See the summary)

b. Why does the speaker make a prayer to the God, but not to a king, a billionaire or a scientist?

God is believed to be a creator of the universe. A king, a billionaire or a scientist are the mortal beings of his creation. When people face any difficulties, they first pray to God, not to any earthly beings. It is believed that only Almighty God can help us to get through the trouble. These are the reasons why the speaker makes a prayer to God, not to a king, a billionaire or a scientist.

c. How does the poet highlight the magnificence of the God?

The poet highlights the magnificence of God, pleading to be noticed and protected. Every morning the poet prays to God to have mercy on the helpless people. In the evening, he asks a blessing to protect the town. He believes that God is their savior and protector.

d. How does the rhyme scheme of the poem reinforce its message?

The poem has the AABB rhyme scheme which is the simplest and most common rhyme scheme. It produces the sing-song effect in the poem. It helps to grasp the reader’s attention, to convey the message to the readers more conveniently and easily.