Just as the poetry of Dylan Thomas is difficult to characterize as springing from any particular poetic movement, it is also problematic to pin down his poetic roots, his literary heritage. Although he is Welsh, his poetry seldom reflects this, since his themes are intensely personal, having little relation to either his Welsh background or his historic period. Even in poems such as "Fern Hill," which is based on a childhood location and memory, the setting is more deeply rooted in the world of the imagination than in the countryside of Wales.

Because of this, critics are often bitterly divided about the description of Thomas as a Welsh writer. Many feel that he should not be characterized as such since he was unable to speak Welsh and stated that he had no interest at all in the language. He rejected the cause of Welsh nationalism and...