Here

Ronald Stuart Thomas was a Welsh poet and Anglican priest who was noted for his nationalism, spirituality and deep dislike of the anglicization of Wales. He was one of the major English language and European poets of the 20th century. In 1996 Thomas was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature.

“Here” is divided in seven stanzas of three verses each one. In the first stanza, “I am a man now” is a short, simple sentence that shows the brutal and brief nature of war and violence. It presents a sharp tone and atmosphere. It also implies that, as the narrator is going to war, he is no longer considered a boy, but a man. The phrase “the brains grow” refers to the man´s growing in knowledge and understanding of the world, as he is exposed to such violence in war. The simile “I am like a tree” in the second stanza is also a short and brief phrase, that reinforces the previously mentioned points. The narrator links himself to a tree (nature imagery), and says that he can see “the footprints that led up to me”. These are metaphors for the past events in his life which led him to be who he is now. This establishes a reflective tone, reflecting on his past, probably because he knows he is risking his life. In the third stanza, “blood” is a war imagery and “the stain” is a metaphor for the negative emotions which lead to war. The fact that this “stain” is carried in the “veins” as “blood”, shows that it is passed down from generation to generation. However, the use of the phrase “run clear” show that the narrator was able to break free of this hereditary prejudices leading to violence. The word “contracted” has many negative connotations, as we “contract” a disease or illness. By using the first rhetorical question in stanza four, the narrator questions if he has escaped from the violence prejudices of his ancestors, why is he at war, killing people? He concludes that he has been “misled”, forced and tricked in war. The phrase “hands red” brings connotations of guilt and blame. Words such as “red”, “blood” and “dead” add to the war images. Stanza five continues with the questioning phrase and he questions why his hands “will not do as I say”, being his hands a symbol for his entire self. This reinforces the idea that he has been forced into war. The last verse “does no God hear when I pray?” shows his desperation, praying to more than one god. The sense of desperation increases as he mentions that he is trapped and has nowhere to go, another short sentence showing brutality in stanza six. “Swift satellites” shows he is constantly being watched, and consequently cannot escape. The metaphor “the clock of my whole being is slow” has many ramifications, his life becomes predictable and controlled, not unique in any way. The stanza seven starts with him admitting “it is too late to start/for destinations not of the heart”, meaning that it is too late to think rationally, only violence, war and prejudice remain. The poem ends with a melancholy tone, “I must stay here with my hurt”, showing that he truly is trapped in war, and cannot get out.

The regular structure and rhyme scheme (AAA BBB CCC etc.) shows the unstoppable march of the soldiers at war. The poem moves from him being a new recruit (“I am a man now”) to being a hardened veteran, familiar with the tragedy of war (“I must stay here with my hurt”).