On October 27, 1914, Dylan Marleys Thomas was born in Swansea - the poet with a deep voice, unusual imagery and a reputation for turning his own life into a performance. He died at only 39 years old, but left behind poems such as “Do not go softly on this good night“, “And death shall have no power“ and the radio play “Under the milky forest“.
However, another biography is also accumulating around him - of a bohemian, storyteller, drinker and eternal debtor. Some of the stories are well documented, others gradually become literary mythology.
Alcohol as a Way of Life
Thomas began to gain fame in the 1930s, when he published his first collection of poems “18 Poems“. In parallel with his literary success, he built the image of a noisy and unpredictable artist who drank heavily, spoke at length and often crossed the line of decency.
His wife Caitlin Thomas describes their relationship in one sentence: “Our marriage was not only a love story, but also a story about drinking“. She and Dylan married in 1937, had three children, but their family life was marked by financial difficulties, conflicts and infidelity.
The most famous story is that shortly before his death in New York, Thomas returned to the Chelsea Hotel and declared: "I drank 18 whiskeys in a row". The BBC specifies that the owner of the establishment later estimated the amount at more like six or eight. The episode itself shows how Thomas often mixed fact and self-promotion.
Debts, loans and inconvenient guests
Financial chaos is also part of his image. Thomas and Caitlin often lived on little money, moving between Wales, London and the United States and relying on help from friends. According to Andrew Liket's biography in Time magazine, the poet left unpaid debts, took money and services that he did not return, and sometimes damaged the homes he visited.
Among the incidents recounted is the claim that he urinated on a plant in Charlie Chaplin's home. The BBC presents it as part of a series of stories about his behavior, but at the same time notes that his alcoholic reputation is also significantly exaggerated.
The Poet Behind the Scandals
Thomas himself has fueled the legend of his controversial nature. In one of his famous self-descriptions, he says: “There is a beast, an angel and a madman in me”. This mixture of artistic posturing, real addictions and an irresistible desire to be the center of attention made him one of the most memorable figures in 20th-century literature.
His last American tour in 1953 took place against a backdrop of heavy drinking, failing health and a crumbling marriage. On November 4, he collapsed after medical intervention and fell into a coma. He died on November 9 at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York.
Today, stories about glasses of whiskey, debts and scandals continue to attract attention, but they cannot replace his writing. His most enduring image remains that of the poet, who, in a few stanzas, manages to speak simultaneously about life, the fear of death and the desire not to go without a fight.
Sources: bbc.co.uk