Famous for its vibrant culture, beautiful coastline, and rich history, Swansea is also well-known as the birthplace of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas and the reputable, professional, experienced, Foster Care Swansea Agency such as https://saferfostering.org.uk/foster-care-wales/swansea/. Born in Swansea on the 27th of October 1914, Dylan Thomas struggled with bronchitis and asthma all his life, but he was still able to leave school in 1932 to become a reporter for the South Wales Daily Post.
One of Dylan Thomas’s most infamous poems was entitled “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” written as a tribute to all the individuals who bravely went off to fight in the First World War. This beautifully written and empathetic poem includes the words “Old age should burn and rave at close of day, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Words of encouragement for the men who fought bravely, often in terrible conditions, telling them to be brave, to not give in, to live another day and to grow old.
These words could easily have been written to encourage the children, who for no fault of their own, find themselves unable to live with their birth families and being placed into Foster Care. Many of these children will have experienced terrible traumas and need the support and guidance of a family who have the backing of this dedicated, Not-For-Profit Agency, putting the needs of their families and children above everything else.
Dylan Thomas’s early years in Swansea
Dylan Thomas grew up overlooking Cwmdonkin Park, where he played as a boy and which later appeared in his poems. Born with weak lungs, he spent much of his childhood in bed, which may explain his early love of reading. His father taught English at Swansea Grammar School, and Dylan left school with a qualification only in English before working at the South Wales Daily Post, a job he did not enjoy.
In 1932 he joined the Little Theatre, a Swansea amateur dramatics group, where he learned to use the voice that later served his radio career. During the 1930s he belonged to a circle of poets, composers, artists, authors and a broadcaster known as the Kardomah Boys, after the Swansea café where they met to argue about art and modern media.
He had seven poems published between 1933 and 1935 and moved to London in 1934. He died in New York in November 1953, and Swansea still marks his life with statues and a centre named after him.