October 27

October 27 is the birthdate of poet Dylan Thomas, born in Wales in 1914. He became popular in his lifetime, owing to broadcasts and recordings of his poetry, and perhaps even more famous after his death (1953) from alcoholic overdose. He gained attention with Eighteen Poems (1934), an emotionally and sexually charged collection, and achieved fame with poems that include "Do not go gentle into that good night," "And death shall have no dominion," and the well-known Under Milk Wood, evoking life in a Welsh seaside town. His poetic style played against strict verse forms, and his themes focused on the process of life, death and new life as a magical transformation linking the generations. Thomas had a deep connection with Wales but – incredibly – decried any notion of "Welshness" in his poetry.