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The Poetry of T.E Thomas

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Introduction	Thomas Edward Thomas was born in the Rhondda valley in 1906. He left school at fourteen and like the vast majority of his generation worked underground to provide the best steam coal in the world. This was a time of poverty and appalling working conditions. It was a time of struggle as oppressed workers fought for rights we take for granted today. These conditions have now passed into history, so with his son, Roger, born 1942 he recorded his experiences. Tom worked in Fernhill colliery, Blaenrhondda and in September 1936 he took part in a stay-in strike at the pit bottom which lasted 292 hours, a world record at the time. His poem 'Stay-in Strike' records the miners' struggle and the poem 'Night Shift' provides the reader with an insight into working conditions at the time. TE Thomas died in 1974 with black lung disease and his son,Roger continued writing poems on the principles taught to him by his father.

Gender

Male

Introduction

Thomas Edward Thomas was born in the Rhondda valley in 1906. He left school at fourteen and like the vast majority of his generation worked underground to provide the best steam coal in the world. This was a time of poverty and appalling working conditions. It was a time of struggle as oppressed workers fought for rights we take for granted today. These conditions have now passed into history, so with his son, Roger, born 1942 he recorded his experiences. Tom worked in Fernhill colliery, Blaenrhondda and in September 1936 he took part in a stay-in strike at the pit bottom which lasted 292 hours, a world record at the time. His poem 'Stay-in Strike' records the miners' struggle and the poem 'Night Shift' provides the reader with an insight into working conditions at the time. TE Thomas died in 1974 with black lung disease and his son,Roger continued writing poems on the principles taught to him by his father.