A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas

A Child's Christmas in Wales is a work of prose written by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas and recorded in 1952. The composition, which evolved from an earlier piece he wrote for BBC Radio, is an anecdotal memory of a Christmas from the perspective of a little child, depicting a nostalgic and simpler time. It is one of Thomas' most well-known pieces. A Child's Christmas in Wales has a lot going for it. Thomas's language is a love pat to the ear in and of itself. His description of a boy playing with friends in the streets of a small town before going home to eat Christmas dinner with predictable relatives (but unexpected events) and the terrifying end to his day never fails to satisfy.

A Child's Christmas in Wales, like his poetry, lacks a tight narrative structure and instead employs descriptive passages in a fictionalized autobiographical style, designed to create an emotive sense of the nostalgia Thomas is attempting to evoke, recalling a Christmas from the author's perspective as a young boy. Thomas looks for a sentimental belief in Christmases gone by— "It was snowing outside. It always snowed at Christmas" - expanding on his beautiful childhood recollection by characterizing the snow as nicer and more thrilling than the snow he experienced as an adult. The dissertation illustrates how childhood memories are enlarged through youthful interpretation using exaggerated characters for comedic effect.

Detailed information:
Author: Dylan Thomas
Published: 1952
Genre: Holiday, poetry, classics, fiction, children
Link to read: goodreads.com/book/show/563820