R. S. Thomas (Phoenix Poetry)

All right, I was Welsh. Does it matter? I spoke the tongue that was passed onTo me in the place I happened to be,A place huddled between grey walls.Of cloud for at least half the year.--From A Welsh TestamentWhen R.S. Thomas died in September 2000, he was widely regarded not only as the leading Anglo-Welsh poet of our time, but as a major world poet. His works offered challenging statements about isolation; many of the early verses focused on the people in the remote depths of rural Wales where Thomas lived and worked as a clergyman. Included in this fascinating compilation are Gifts, The Old Language, Song at the Year's Turning, and nearly 100 more. Includes an introduction to Thomas's life and work.