This Bread I Break by Dylan Thomas

Dylan Thomas is one of the greatest poets that ever lived. His poems are steeped in religious ideals yet remain timeless. Living in the early Twentieth Century, he has more freedom in his views, compared to others published in this genre, and it is noticeable in "This Bread I Break."

This poem clearly relates to the sacrament used in many Christian based religions. The bread is referred to as being, "once an oat," an oat growing free in the fields only to be cut down and processed into flour to make the bread. This opens up a viewpoint against the church. In a way saying that Christ's life was pure, and then processed through religion.

Making reference to wine, "upon a foreign tree," alludes to Christ's birth in Jerusalem; indicating Christ was a Jew, yet Christian Churches spread Anti-Semitism. The tone of the poem is set in the lines, "Man in the day or wind at night laid the crops low, broke the grape's joy."

He uses aggressive language throughout the poem: plunged, broke, knocked, decked, pulled, break, desolation and snap. These words are combined with soft words, such as: summer, joy, sun and merry. This creates a sentiment of taking something fragile only to destroy it.

In the second stanza he refers to, "summer blood." Alone this may bring several images of summer, warmth, life and other images. The meaning behind "summer blood," becomes clear in the stanza. "Man broke the sun, pulled the wind down. It is Christ's blood, but more importantly holy and divine." The blood of Christ is holy in the summer, before the harvest.

In the last stanza Thomas condemns those who abuse the Savior's Sacrifice to create a path Heaven. Perhaps to say letting people believe they will be forgiven for their sins makes them sin more. "This flesh you break, this blood you let, make desolation in the vein."

In Revelations Jesus appears to John with swords gashed through his body, his eyes in pain and tortured, implying the sins of humanity was transferred to him. How is this sacrifice repaid? It is repaid with war, sin, judgment, hate and lies. The mounting torture worsens through time.

"Born of the sensual root and sap;" brings the focus back to the fact that Christ is also referred to as "Adam's Son." He is as human as everyone else. "This Bread I Break" insinuates Thomas regrets or rejects his baptismal. As if saying he would rather not be baptized if it displaces his sins onto Christ, placing responsibility back onto men, asking, "Just because you can get away with it, should you do it?"

Dylan Thomas is able to convey a large amount of information regarding many issues in churches. I also find the premise of God rewarding people who captured and tortured his son as lacks merit.

Quirky Books
Selected Poems 1934-1952 by Dylan Thomas