Theme Of A Poem

[jalalseidi]

Hey, Can anyone help me to understand the theme of the (Too long, Skeleton) poem by Dylan Thomas?

[bookbinder]

Can you be more specific about the poem's title? I can't find a Dylan Thomas poem with the title that you quote.

[bobbinwales]

Found this but am not sure if its by him or posted by a fan
http://dylanthomaspoet.blogspot.com/2008/05/too-longskeleton.html

[bobbinwales]

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Eng5EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA56&lpg=PA56&;dq=%22Out+of+the+soil+and+seed+into+the+drive,+%22&source=bl&ots=8M_CeiugUF&sig=ACfU3U1LkWFWveOhAEq1RG0b28DTvCm_VA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjsv9Hutcj1AhUKhlwKHUv_DSsQ6AF6BAgDEAM#v=onepage&q=%22Out%20of%20the%20soil%20and%20seed%20into%20the%20drive%2C%20%22&;f=false

[jalalseidi]

Too long, Skeleton
Dylan Thomas

Too long, Skeleton, death's risen

Out of the soil and seed into the drive,

Chalk cooled by leaves in the hot season,

Too long, skeleton, death's all alive

From nape to toe, a sanatorium piece

Sly as an adder, rid of fleas.

Take now content, no longer posturing

As raped and reaped, bones bid for auction,

The prism of the eye now void by suction,

New man best whose blood runs thick,

Rather than charnel-house as symbol

Of the moment and the dead hour.

[jalalseidi]

I wanted to translate this poem, but it was hard for me to understand the message and the theme. Is it about dying?

[bobbinwales]

Theres a German tranalation on my link from google books

[jno]

very very hard to translate poetry, no matter what language you want to put it into. Prose is hard enough.

[Khandro]

I'm not being facetious, but it means whatever it means to you. There is no concrete, absolute 'meaning' to good poetry, or any art for that matter.

If the poet wanted to communicate something absolutely specific, he would have done it in prose, not via poetry.

As Frank Capra said; ' If you want to send a message, try Western Union.'

Having said all that, the references are obviously to do with the deceased.