A DISLOCATION OF MIND: Alwyn Marriage examines David Banning’s self-declared “attempts to engage with the many contradictions swirling around in the mind of RS Thomas”
A Dislocation of Mind: R S Thomas
David Banning
Chrome Editions, 2026
ISBN 978-1-8380915-9-0
21 pages.
This very short booklet contains Banning’s reflections on R S Thomas, accompanied by some of the poet’s photographs of Aberdaron plus a few delightful sketches by Iain Sharpe. The title of the book is appropriate on more than one level, because the text by Banning does itself appear to be rather dislocated, jumping uneasily from thought to history to snatch of liturgy. However, the dislocated mind is presumably meant to be that of the poet himself, reflecting the anguish and doubts of R S Thomas and possibly those of the author, too.
The main message, repeated a number of times, is that God is absent. Whether this is a comment on modern life, or a reflection of the perturbations of the poet’s mind, it is a thought that leads necessarily to darkness. The image of ‘the greedy sea, that would destroy the church’ only serves to accentuate this cold horror.
Despite the disjointed style, the text does illuminate part of the character and experience of Thomas, illustrating his passion for the Welsh language – an enthusiasm that was not always appreciated by his Welsh parishioners. Thomas was not a native Welsh speaker and learned the language as an incomer, although it is well-known that he continued to write his poetry in English. This seems strange because, in line with his passion for the Welsh language, Thomas is quite frank about his anger and prejudice against the English people, particularly as tourists to Aberdaron or potential purchasers of houses.
‘Day in, day out, the awful industrial reverberations of English settlers … In between gales, the rush to snap up scattered houses. Like the repeated territorial disputes trumpeted by the choking calls of herring gulls’
(pages 10-11).
Banning suggests that in Thomas’s opinion, even the street through the village of Aberdaron is now ‘nothing but a thoroughfare for ice cream vans and tourists’ (page 10). Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Thomas, could still respond to the beauty of the natural environment, and Banning puts into his mouth words of appreciation:
‘despite this constant anguish, now and then a rippled but smoothed surface reflects the sun off the sea at different angles, lifting the misty gloom with illuminated paths of glitter.’
(page 14).
There are other moments of delight, such as the image Banning paints of Thomas coming across a barn owl at night:
‘Once, the rare treat swooped down on the way home and paused on a wooden post a few yards ahead. In the perfect silence of twilight, you stood holding your breath admiring its wraithlike shape. Washed with golden feathers that barely whisper in the hush of flight …’
(page 15).
The booklet is nicely produced, if a little idiosyncratic in its layout, and contains a few tantalisingly short extracts from Thomas’s own poems. Banning has clearly read and appreciated the poetry of Thomas and in this study is probably exploring the negative aspects more out of sympathy than criticism. But in one striking phrase, Banning refers to ‘Those deep spaces of your anguished heart, a memorial left to a damned soul who could not be saved’ (page 16). I sincerely hope that he was not referring to Thomas in this description!
The text might have benefitted from further editing. For instance, I am not sure that I understand the structure and meaning of the sentence ‘Seeking infinity, the vanquished envelop the sands and pursue you from the depths’ (page 13).
For this reviewer, the question that remains is whether the tortured picture Banning paints is the whole truth. It is undeniable that Thomas suffered doubts and was irritated (to say the least) not only by English imperialism but also by much of what he found in the Church. He did, however, continue to fulfil his priestly duties, including pastoral care, throughout:
‘They forget how you spent entire nights with the dying. Lonely and obdurate under the forbidding skies, driving the 100 miles round trip to Bangor and back’
(page 9).
It is also significant – and should be remembered – that the poetry of R S Thomas has given shape and expression to the spiritual explorations of countless people for the last 100 years, and is likely to continue to do so. Perhaps some appreciation of that truth would have given a more balanced account of this complicated, questioning but deeply religious poet.
Jun 1 2026
A DISLOCATION OF MIND
A DISLOCATION OF MIND: Alwyn Marriage examines David Banning’s self-declared “attempts to engage with the many contradictions swirling around in the mind of RS Thomas”
A Dislocation of Mind: R S Thomas
David Banning
Chrome Editions, 2026
ISBN 978-1-8380915-9-0
21 pages.
This very short booklet contains Banning’s reflections on R S Thomas, accompanied by some of the poet’s photographs of Aberdaron plus a few delightful sketches by Iain Sharpe. The title of the book is appropriate on more than one level, because the text by Banning does itself appear to be rather dislocated, jumping uneasily from thought to history to snatch of liturgy. However, the dislocated mind is presumably meant to be that of the poet himself, reflecting the anguish and doubts of R S Thomas and possibly those of the author, too.
The main message, repeated a number of times, is that God is absent. Whether this is a comment on modern life, or a reflection of the perturbations of the poet’s mind, it is a thought that leads necessarily to darkness. The image of ‘the greedy sea, that would destroy the church’ only serves to accentuate this cold horror.
Despite the disjointed style, the text does illuminate part of the character and experience of Thomas, illustrating his passion for the Welsh language – an enthusiasm that was not always appreciated by his Welsh parishioners. Thomas was not a native Welsh speaker and learned the language as an incomer, although it is well-known that he continued to write his poetry in English. This seems strange because, in line with his passion for the Welsh language, Thomas is quite frank about his anger and prejudice against the English people, particularly as tourists to Aberdaron or potential purchasers of houses.
‘Day in, day out, the awful industrial reverberations of English settlers … In between gales, the rush to snap up scattered houses. Like the repeated territorial disputes trumpeted by the choking calls of herring gulls’
(pages 10-11).
Banning suggests that in Thomas’s opinion, even the street through the village of Aberdaron is now ‘nothing but a thoroughfare for ice cream vans and tourists’ (page 10). Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Thomas, could still respond to the beauty of the natural environment, and Banning puts into his mouth words of appreciation:
‘despite this constant anguish, now and then a rippled but smoothed surface reflects the sun off the sea at different angles, lifting the misty gloom with illuminated paths of glitter.’
(page 14).
There are other moments of delight, such as the image Banning paints of Thomas coming across a barn owl at night:
‘Once, the rare treat swooped down on the way home and paused on a wooden post a few yards ahead. In the perfect silence of twilight, you stood holding your breath admiring its wraithlike shape. Washed with golden feathers that barely whisper in the hush of flight …’
(page 15).
The booklet is nicely produced, if a little idiosyncratic in its layout, and contains a few tantalisingly short extracts from Thomas’s own poems. Banning has clearly read and appreciated the poetry of Thomas and in this study is probably exploring the negative aspects more out of sympathy than criticism. But in one striking phrase, Banning refers to ‘Those deep spaces of your anguished heart, a memorial left to a damned soul who could not be saved’ (page 16). I sincerely hope that he was not referring to Thomas in this description!
The text might have benefitted from further editing. For instance, I am not sure that I understand the structure and meaning of the sentence ‘Seeking infinity, the vanquished envelop the sands and pursue you from the depths’ (page 13).
For this reviewer, the question that remains is whether the tortured picture Banning paints is the whole truth. It is undeniable that Thomas suffered doubts and was irritated (to say the least) not only by English imperialism but also by much of what he found in the Church. He did, however, continue to fulfil his priestly duties, including pastoral care, throughout:
‘They forget how you spent entire nights with the dying. Lonely and obdurate under the forbidding skies, driving the 100 miles round trip to Bangor and back’
(page 9).
It is also significant – and should be remembered – that the poetry of R S Thomas has given shape and expression to the spiritual explorations of countless people for the last 100 years, and is likely to continue to do so. Perhaps some appreciation of that truth would have given a more balanced account of this complicated, questioning but deeply religious poet.