Discuss a Refusal to Mourn ....as an elegy. Compare it with the other elegies that you have read. (MEG 102) (DYLAN THOMAS)

Dylan Thomas's "A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London" is an elegy that, while mourning the loss of a young life, also celebrates the child's transition into the realm of the eternal. The poem is structured in the form of a prayer, with the speaker refusing to mourn the child's death and instead celebrating the beauty of life and the inevitable cycle of death and rebirth.

In comparison to other elegies, such as John Milton's "Lycidas" or W.H. Auden's "In Memory of W.B. Yeats," "A Refusal to Mourn" is unique in its rejection of traditional mourning and emphasis on celebrating life rather than dwelling on death. While Milton and Auden both mourn the loss of individuals in their elegies, they do so in a more traditional and somber way, with a focus on the sadness and grief that comes with death. In contrast, Thomas's poem is more celebratory and life-affirming, with an emphasis on the child's release from the limitations of the mortal world.

In addition, "A Refusal to Mourn" differs from other elegies in its use of vivid and complex imagery. Thomas's use of powerful metaphors and paradoxes, such as "the hammers of the dead" and "the sky is torn across," creates a sense of urgency and emotional intensity that is not present in more traditional elegies.

Overall, "A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London" is a unique and powerful elegy that challenges traditional mourning rituals and instead celebrates the beauty of life and the inevitability of death.