Read the following: Which is the 'better poem, and why? (MEG 102) (DYLAN THOMAS)

Read the following:

Not until doomsday's final call

And all the earth returns once more To that

primaeval home of all.

When on that insubstantial shore

The tumbling primal waters foam

And silence rules her lonely home,

And I return to whence I came,

The sacramental child of earth,

Joining with nature to proclaim

A death that is a second birthNo, not until that final sleep

Will I for this dead infant weep,

She lies with her ancestral dead.

The child of London, home 'at last

To earth from whence all life is bred And

present mingles with the past.

The unmourning waters lap her feet.

She has no second death to meet.

Compare this with Refusal to Mourn .... 

Which is the 'better poem, and why?

The given passage is a poem titled "The Child of London," in which the speaker reflects on death and rebirth, and the idea of returning to the earth from whence we came. The speaker suggests that there is no need to mourn the death of the child, as she is returning to her ancestral home and becoming one with nature.

In contrast, "Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London" is a poem in which the speaker refuses to mourn the death of a child who has been consumed by fire, instead celebrating the child's life and their release from the suffering of the world.

In terms of which is the "better" poem, it is subjective and ultimately depends on the reader's personal preferences and interpretations. "The Child of London" is a more introspective and philosophical exploration of death and rebirth, while "Refusal to Mourn" is a more emotionally charged response to the tragedy of a child's death. Both poems use vivid imagery and powerful language to convey their respective messages.