Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, By Dylan Thomas
Most people are scared of death. It is mostly because of the fear of the unknown. However, in Dylan Thomas’s Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night he states that he wants people to fight against death and not give in to the helplessness it brings. When people reach old age and death is approaching quickly, they tend to feel regret and helplessness, but instead they should rebel against their fate. Thomas brings this to light with his tone and word choice, his repetition, and the way he refers to his father. When writing poetry the way things are said and the words chosen help to bring an understanding to the general idea being presented. Thomas’s choice of “wise men” help to illustrate that he is talking about men who have reached old age (4-7). Thomas states that “dark is right,” which allows the reader to understand that these men are wise because they realize that death is their fate and they understand it is inevitable. When the author refers to death, he calls it a “good night” because he does not necessarily view it as a
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negative thing (1). A reader can infer from the poem that the author views giving into death as acceptable only if the person has achieved something of importance in their lifetime. Although these men accept death is coming, they soon realize that they have not achieved their full potential and thus they fight against death, feeling that it is not their time yet. Throughout the entire poem a reader gets the message that most men realize too late that they have done nothing of true meaning in their lives.
Thomas says, “Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright/ Their frail deeds might have danced in the green bay” (7-8). These men are realizing what could have been and how unfortunately it is too late to change the past. When Thomas states, “Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight/ And learn, too late, they have grieved it on its way,” and “Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight/ Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,” it is clear that even men who have lived with passion did not really achieve anything (10-14). These men really did not live completely because they never did something remarkable. This regret of not being remembered for something great leaves these men helpless and because of what they have come to learn, Thomas encourages them to fight for
life. When a reader finally reaches the last stanza, the poem changes it’s tone. Thomas is not just referring to all men now, but to the man he cares about most. He pleads:
“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” (16-20).
He doesn’t care what his father has to say to him, as long as he says something and shows some sign of life. When he says, “sad height” he is referring to the end of his father’s life and it is clear he is not quite ready to let go of his father. In a way, since he is giving the same advice to his father as he did for the other men, it can be inferred that he believes his father has yet to achieve something of great importance as well. Therefore, his father should be realizing that he should be fighting for more time alive. This poem is a source of motivation where men who reach old age and are close to death realize that they still have much to do and should fight to stay alive. It is also motivational because it gives the general idea that people should not lose hope. Instead, they should keep fighting even if it looks like there is no way out of a situation. By fighting, people get to go out with a bang.
negative thing (1). A reader can infer from the poem that the author views giving into death as acceptable only if the person has achieved something of importance in their lifetime. Although these men accept death is coming, they soon realize that they have not achieved their full potential and thus they fight against death, feeling that it is not their time yet. Throughout the entire poem a reader gets the message that most men realize too late that they have done nothing of true meaning in their lives.
Thomas says, “Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright/ Their frail deeds might have danced in the green bay” (7-8). These men are realizing what could have been and how unfortunately it is too late to change the past. When Thomas states, “Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight/ And learn, too late, they have grieved it on its way,” and “Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight/ Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,” it is clear that even men who have lived with passion did not really achieve anything (10-14). These men really did not live completely because they never did something remarkable. This regret of not being remembered for something great leaves these men helpless and because of what they have come to learn, Thomas encourages them to fight for
life. When a reader finally reaches the last stanza, the poem changes it’s tone. Thomas is not just referring to all men now, but to the man he cares about most. He pleads:
“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” (16-20).
He doesn’t care what his father has to say to him, as long as he says something and shows some sign of life. When he says, “sad height” he is referring to the end of his father’s life and it is clear he is not quite ready to let go of his father. In a way, since he is giving the same advice to his father as he did for the other men, it can be inferred that he believes his father has yet to achieve something of great importance as well. Therefore, his father should be realizing that he should be fighting for more time alive. This poem is a source of motivation where men who reach old age and are close to death realize that they still have much to do and should fight to stay alive. It is also motivational because it gives the general idea that people should not lose hope. Instead, they should keep fighting even if it looks like there is no way out of a situation. By fighting, people get to go out with a bang.