The Dragon that Died

in the Winter Rain

Poetry Jigsaw.

Lesson aims :•Develop inferential

reading skills•Sequence the three

verses of the poem

•Write out your

favourite verse

Dafydd Rowlands

The Dragon that Died

in the Winter Rain

This poem explores the feeling of Welshness and the

symbolism of our flag. The poet is Dafydd Rowlands. Dafydd

Rowlands was born and raised in the Swansea Valley. He was

the “Prifardd” of the Eisteddfod’s “Gorsedd Y

Beirdd”.

It sleeps in our eyes,

burns within our being,

swims in our blood,

we still talk about that dragon;

but it died in the winter rain.

Uses a pronoun, not a noun.

Last line has an air of finality.

Line four suggests the dragon is almost forgotten.

We mounted that dragon in our beds

we rode that dragon down the valley smoke,

we drove that dragon up the chapeled hills,

we whipped that dragon through the crumbling sea,

and that dragon died in the winter rain.

Tells us about how the poet and his family / friends interacted with the dragon.

Last line seems like a continuation.

This dragon is real to the poet at some point – when? How old do you imagine him to be?

Where is this verse set?

Can you imagine the valley?

That dragon we talked about;

mythical creature that swam in our blood,

That burned within our being,

slept in our eyes as we lay in the summer grass;

the dragon that died in the winter rain.

Introduces us to the dragon.

Gives a historical view of the dragon and how the poet and others interact with it.

What do you think “slept in our eyes” means?

What contrasts do you notice?

What does “mythical” mean?

Who is the poet referring to when he says “our”?

The Dragon that Died

in the Winter Rain

•Did you read each verse closely?

•Did you decide on the order of the

verses? •Now write out your favourite

verse.

We mounted that dragon in our beds…

It sleeps in our eyes…

That dragon we talked about…

??

?Return to first page.

Return to menu