Summary of Every Morning I Wake by Dylan Thomas | Class 12 English

Introduction: 

Every Morning I Wake is an excerpt (a short extract from a film, music, or writing) from Under the Milk Wood (1953). It was a radio play, which was set in a small Wales town called Llareggub. Milk Wood is a little hamlet (a small settlement usually smaller than a village).

The present poem is in a form of prayer. The speaker prays to the magnificent almighty God to have mercy on the ordinary inhabitants living under the Milk Wood.

About Author: Dylan Thomas

Born in Swansea, Wales, Dylan Thomas (1914- 1953) is famous for his acutely lyrical and emotional poetry. Thomas can be seen as an extension into the 20th century of the general movement called Romanticism, that flourished in the nineteenth century England, particularly in its emphasis on imagination, emotion, intuition, spontaneity, and organic form. 

Considered to be one of the greatest Welsh poets of all time, Thomas is largely known for his imaginative use of language and vivid imagery in his poems. He started working for BBC in 1945. Under Milk Wood (1953), a radio play was written over a long period of time during the last months of his life. It is set in a small Welsh town called Llareggub and covers one day in the lives of its provincial characters. 

Short Summary:

The poem "Every Morning I Wake" is an extract from Under the Milk Wood. In this poem, Thomas pleads with the majestic God to have mercy on the common people who live under the Milk Wood.

This poem is a prayer to the magnificent God made by a tiny creature known as a human being. The speaker of the poem is a representative of human kinds who are born to die but nothing. The speaker is a devotee of God and he knows the real power of God, so every morning he wakes up he makes a pray to Him for having mercy on every creature. The speaker prays not only for his benefit but for the well-being of entire creatures. They are living on this planet but the remote control is at the hand of God. God is the creator and destroyer of everything on this planet. The speaker prays to Him to have mercy because He is immortal and Almighty. 

As mortal beings, we have to die but the blessings of God make our life beautiful. The speaker is praying to God before he sleeps at night but is not certain if they will see him tomorrow morning so he is asking to bless them. We may be good or bad in the course of living our everyday lives, but it is only God who knows our best side. The blessings of God every night make us able to see them tomorrow morning. So, the speaker bows down and pray to God to keep them alive throughout the night. This time the speaker bides goodbye but not forever though it is not certain to be able to wake up the following morning.

According to the poem we human beings are so imperfect to do the activities. We fully depend on the mercy of God. Our lives are directed by the blessing of God. We pray to God because he has great value and can preserve the best.

Understanding the Stanzas:

Stanza 1:

Every morning when I wake,

Dear Lord, a little prayer I make,

O please do keep Thy loving eye                                

On all poor creatures born to die

Explanation:  The speaker makes his prayer every morning and evening.  This first stanza of the poem is his morning prayer. Here we find the speaker requesting the Lord to keep his love on the people of Milk Wood. But at the same time, it is for all the creatures of the world. The use of the phrase 'all poor creatures' clearly indicates that the speaker is neither praying for his personal benefit nor for human beings only, he is praying for all the creatures of the world. Every creature is born to die.

Stanza 2:

And every evening at sun-down

I ask a blessing on the town,

For whether we last the night or no

I’m sure is always touch-and-go.

Explanation:

In these lines, speaker expresses the uncertainty of life and death. He is unsure if the night is the last night of city inhabitants or not, but he always prays the almighty will make everything good and protect them from any possible harms. . The speaker prays to God before going to bed, but he doesn't know whether he'll see them again in the morning, so he asks for God to bless them.  Every night's benefits from God enable us to see them the next day.

Stanza 3:

We are not wholly bad or good

Who live our lives under Milk Wood,

And Thou, I know, wilt be the first

To see our best side, not our worst.

Explanation: In the process of living our daily lives, we may be nice or terrible, but only God is aware of our best selves In this way, the speaker kneels before God, pleading for him to preserve them alive till morning. Especially, the speaker represents Milkwood town and makes sure that they are not totally bad or totally good. People might judge them in their own way it all depends on someone's perspective on how s/he judges others. But the speaker seems optimistic that god knows the best side of the inhabitants of milk down. 

Stanza 4:

O let us see another day!

Bless us all this night, I pray,

And to the sun we all will bow

And say, goodbye – but just for now!

Explanation: In the last stanza, the speaker tries to conclude his prayers. The speaker hopes that the night will pass quickly and that the lovely day will return. The imagery in this poem is of the night. It refers to the hardships, stress, and difficult days of him and the town's people. And he prays for the Almighty's assistance in their difficult times. The final Goodbye symbolizes the conclusion of a prayer. This time, the speaker says his or her goodbye, but he or she is aware that they will be temporary and the next day will be the new beginning by god's grace.