"Dylan Thomas"

Name of traveller

Michael Augustin (b. 1953)

Reason for travel

• research for the special issue of a German travel magazine

Date of travel

undated, ca. early 2010s

Die Waliser haben sich lange schwer getan mit ihrem weltbekanntesten Dichter und seinem unvergänglichen Nachruhm. Manchen seiner puritanischen Landsleute missfiel das trunkenboldige Image dieses Mannes aus ihrer Mitte, andere waren verärgert, dass der Abkömmling walisischsprachiger Vorfahren sich bei der Ausübung der Kunst der englischen Sprache bediente und damit eher in London denn in Wales zu Hause war. (Augustin 100)

Content

• architecture: description of the layout of Dylan Thomas's birthplace in Swansea, particularly his childhood room
• art: illustrated with two historical photographs of Dylan Thomas and with contemporary photographs by Walter Schmitz
• culture: identifies a former difficult relationship between the Welsh population and Dylan Thomas's image as a drunkard and poet writing in English
• literature:
  • contains excepts from "Poem in October" in their original English with a parallel translation in German
  • recognises influence of Dylan Thomas's writing on popular culture
  • points out early German translation of Under Milk Wood by Erich Fried (1921-1988)
• people:
  • notes on the life and work of Dylan Thomas (1914-1953)
  • brief reference to Caitlin Thomas (1913-1994) and Richard Burton (1925-1984)
• recreation:
  • great numbers of literary tourists visiting the various locations associated with Dylan Thomas's life, particularly in Laugharne
  • takes a walk along the popular Dylan's Birthday Walk
• terrain:
  • sketches layout and character of Laugharne and the surrounding landscape
  • description of display boards explaining wildlife and vegetation along Dylan's Birthday Walk

Nationality of traveller

German

Language of publication

German

Gender of traveller

Male

Type of publication

essay; travelogue

Citation

Augustin, Michael. "Dylan Thomas." MERIAN 10 (20 Sep 2012): 92-102. Print.