But these things also – Edward Thomas

Things likewise But these things also brings to the centre of attention what has antecedently overlooked, as Judy K remainderall writes. doubting doubting doubting doubting Thomas explores his fascination with the unimportant in this poem and looks at the connection and coming unitedly together of Spring and Winter. Much like his other poetry, here, Thomas struggles to stage his finger on precisely what he means. This Is shown by his Inability to fraction and distinguish between the ii seasons.The poem begins with the low two lines stress on Spring, however, by allowing this with two lines focusing on Winter, Thomas explodes our first expectations of usual spring poetry of bright and beautiful Images. Instead, he catches the obliviousness between the two seasons and we are presented with the belief of the grass being vast dead and greyer now. This pessimistic tone Is not what one usually connotes with springtime, but with the moth-eaten and bleak pass. By putting the i mages of the two seasons so close together in this stanza, Thomas reinforces his presentation of their connection.The last line of the stanza, than all the winter it as, changes the natural phrase structure of the words. The stress focuses of it was, emphasizing what has past, which bring into beings a sense of longing, introducing the radical that, like in March, Thomas is desperate to find the key the last two lines of the first stanza finish with the words now and was, bringing together images of the tendency of time and emphasizing the gap between the present and the past and importantly, Thomas focus on that gap.The second stanza uses instance to look at things, which are seemingly unimportant. These things show the remains of winter, on that pointfore connecting the seasons further. Once again, Thomas alters the syntax of the words to create a more beautified image. The word bleached would usually harbor a untold more negative connotation of fading and perchance even the loss of hope, however By placing the word at the end of the first line and after the word little he takes away the inhuman treatment of the sound and makes it more delicate and gentle.As well as this, Tomatos use of enjambement stresses the soft L sounds in the shell of the little snail, which further emphasizes the smoothness of the words. followers this, the surreal pause halfway long the second line, highlights the plosive sounds on the image of the chip of flint. This draws our attention to the minute details, which Thomas considers and accentuates the signs that spring is not quite here yet. By observing nature In this much detail, we see how valuable Thomas considers It to be, It creates a sense that although these things are wasted and often overlooked, they are significant.The closing Image In this stanza is of the purest white bird dung. At first It appears odd to be beautifying such a thing as bird dung, but by following It with the words purest white, Thomas Intro duces an Idea of Innocence and positively, as well as a contrast with the previous Image of something greyer now. This brief glimmer of hope however, Is shattered in the conterminous stanza. In stanza three, the image of White no longer has positive connotations. But it and death.This presently darkens the tone and the notion of mistaking bird dung for violets presents the idea that Thomas is truly desperate for any indication of springs arrival. The following violent images of Winters ruins and Winters debts create an oppressive feeling which moves further from the previous idea of hope. Continuing the chemical formula of Thomas other poetry, the word something appears ambiguous and vague, creating a sense that Thomas still isnt quite clear on what it is we are paying Winters debts with.The final stanza of But these things also begins to fill us with hope once more. The chattering birds create a sense of rising morale and the idea of keeping their spirits up sounds optimistic. scorn this, when we eventually think that Thomas is going to make a explicit statement, springs here he reintroduces the feeling of ambiguity with the words Winters not gone. This leaves the poem with a sense of not knowing and uncertainty. This reminds us of Thomas tendency to neer give absolutes and that he likes balancing a positive idea with a negative.This paradox leaves us with the idea that the winter is preventing the spring from arriving. Throughout the poem, there is a regular rhythm, given by the Iambic Tetrameter, which is occasionally shorten to show the indecisive and unclear seasons. There is never a terminate during this poem due to it all being one long sentence. Roberts dialog about Thomas use of enjambment and fluidity, which gives a sense of him sentiment and working through his thoughts.