Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night
By: Dylan Thomas
By: Dylan Thomas
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
This poem is an example of mans rebellion against death. Death is inevitable. There is absolutely nothing you can do to escape it, and it is also something every single person past, present, and future has in common. This poem has a rebellious tone, using words such as "fierce", "rage", "blaze", and "rave".
In this poem, man is fighting until his last breath to cheat death, to stay alive. He will "Not go gentle into that good night", meaning he won't just give up without a fight. It is human nature to experience death, but here Thomas is begging his father to, "Rage, rage against the dying of the light." Thomas is telling his father of all the past men who looked back upon their lives with regret, realizing that, "Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay". This poem encourages mans rebellion of death, and entreats its readers to make the most of their lives. To fight until the very end, so that people will experience a full life, not a live of giving up. Death is a factor of life for all men, but there is no reason to welcome it with open arms. "Do not go gentle into that good night,
In this poem, man is fighting until his last breath to cheat death, to stay alive. He will "Not go gentle into that good night", meaning he won't just give up without a fight. It is human nature to experience death, but here Thomas is begging his father to, "Rage, rage against the dying of the light." Thomas is telling his father of all the past men who looked back upon their lives with regret, realizing that, "Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay". This poem encourages mans rebellion of death, and entreats its readers to make the most of their lives. To fight until the very end, so that people will experience a full life, not a live of giving up. Death is a factor of life for all men, but there is no reason to welcome it with open arms. "Do not go gentle into that good night,
Rage, rage against the dying of the the light".
Also included is a short video of Anthony Hopkins (thought I'm not sure who that is) reading this poem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1fTlIsUGks
Thomas, Dylan. "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night." Literature and Composition Reading Writing Thinking. Boston * New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. 926. Print.
AthenaLearning. "Anthony Hopkins Reads Dylan Thomas." YouTube. YouTube, 28 Apr. 2010. Web. 04 Nov. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1fTlIsUGks>.
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