Good Night Figurative Language
One of Dylan Thomas’ most famous poems, Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night, is an emotional and passionate poem. It is a poem that is intended to cause fury. He is able communicate the theme of the poem by the use of figurative languages, such as metaphors and personification. Another effective way of writing Dylan uses is repetition. He uses repetition to emphasize words that are important in his writing and to express his theme. Using figurative languages such as symbols and metaphors and combining it with musical devices like repetition, allows Dylan convey the theme of the poem, which is to stir up anger and rage to fight against mortality.
Dylan uses the practice of metaphors to help provoke anger in his poem. By using metaphors, he is able to say something that has more meaning than using singular words. For instance, when he writes in the first stanza, “Do not go gentle into that good night” (1), and “dying of the light” (3), whenever he says “good night” or “light,” it is a metaphor for death and life. Throughout his poem, he compares night or darkness to death, and light to life. By saying “Do not go gentle” (1), he is saying for one to not to let the darkness have authority, but to draw a temper and not let darkness have dominion. Using these metaphors …show more content…
enables him to create imagery and thought to help express his theme. For example, by using the word “night,” it gives the notion of nighttime which is at that time everyone is sleepy and feels tired. The same way one can feel overtaken by sleepiness at bedtime (or nighttime), Dylan is saying not be overtaken by death as one is overtaken by sleepiness at nighttime. The rage that the author is saying to be filled with is not a pointless anger, but of one with purpose. To not sit idly by and let death have his way so to speak. The use of metaphors enables Dylan to create vivid images to help produce anger.
Another way Dylan is able to communicate the theme of anger is by using personification. By describing human attributes to non-human entities, it assists in painting an image to help relay the message of not passively sitting by and letting death take hold. For example, when he says, “their frail deeds might have danced in the green bay” (8), he writes as if “deeds” can do a human characteristic and dance. This personification signifies life. In this phrase he is talking about regret, missed opportunities that men have. He says this to give a reason to become angry and fight against the “dying of the light” (8). Getting angry at failing to achieve everything that one wanted to do. Personifying the word “deeds” helps with imagery. The use of personification contributes by causing mental images that help to understand the theme non-passivity and violent anger.
Dylan also uses musical devices such as repetition to reveal the theme of rage.
He uses repetition to emphasize his point. To illustrate, Dylan uses the word “rage” (3) multiple times throughout his poem. He echoes the same word multiple times to show its significance in his poem. By Dylan saying, “Do not go gentle / rage against the dying of the night” (1-3), these expressions that are repeated at the end of every other stanza oppose the view of passivity. He is saying not to be lethargic and sit by and let death take over, but to take action, get angry, and fight for life when death comes knocking. Repetition enables him to reveal his theme of non-passive anger in a clear and understandable
way.
Dylan transmitted the message of having anger to fight against death using figurative language, as well as musical devices. By using metaphors, he is able to say more and provide a clearer meaning than using singular words. The use of personification creates imagery that helps with the comprehension of the theme of non-passive anger. As well as repetition, which is used to their draw the attention on the theme. The purpose of the poem was to cause a fire to burn inside, to rise up, and to not idly sit by when death comes nearby. By using figurative and musical devices, Dylan was able to appropriately convey his theme, which is to get angry, not let death have the final say, and rage.
Dylan uses the practice of metaphors to help provoke anger in his poem. By using metaphors, he is able to say something that has more meaning than using singular words. For instance, when he writes in the first stanza, “Do not go gentle into that good night” (1), and “dying of the light” (3), whenever he says “good night” or “light,” it is a metaphor for death and life. Throughout his poem, he compares night or darkness to death, and light to life. By saying “Do not go gentle” (1), he is saying for one to not to let the darkness have authority, but to draw a temper and not let darkness have dominion. Using these metaphors …show more content…
enables him to create imagery and thought to help express his theme. For example, by using the word “night,” it gives the notion of nighttime which is at that time everyone is sleepy and feels tired. The same way one can feel overtaken by sleepiness at bedtime (or nighttime), Dylan is saying not be overtaken by death as one is overtaken by sleepiness at nighttime. The rage that the author is saying to be filled with is not a pointless anger, but of one with purpose. To not sit idly by and let death have his way so to speak. The use of metaphors enables Dylan to create vivid images to help produce anger.
Another way Dylan is able to communicate the theme of anger is by using personification. By describing human attributes to non-human entities, it assists in painting an image to help relay the message of not passively sitting by and letting death take hold. For example, when he says, “their frail deeds might have danced in the green bay” (8), he writes as if “deeds” can do a human characteristic and dance. This personification signifies life. In this phrase he is talking about regret, missed opportunities that men have. He says this to give a reason to become angry and fight against the “dying of the light” (8). Getting angry at failing to achieve everything that one wanted to do. Personifying the word “deeds” helps with imagery. The use of personification contributes by causing mental images that help to understand the theme non-passivity and violent anger.
Dylan also uses musical devices such as repetition to reveal the theme of rage.
He uses repetition to emphasize his point. To illustrate, Dylan uses the word “rage” (3) multiple times throughout his poem. He echoes the same word multiple times to show its significance in his poem. By Dylan saying, “Do not go gentle / rage against the dying of the night” (1-3), these expressions that are repeated at the end of every other stanza oppose the view of passivity. He is saying not to be lethargic and sit by and let death take over, but to take action, get angry, and fight for life when death comes knocking. Repetition enables him to reveal his theme of non-passive anger in a clear and understandable
way.
Dylan transmitted the message of having anger to fight against death using figurative language, as well as musical devices. By using metaphors, he is able to say more and provide a clearer meaning than using singular words. The use of personification creates imagery that helps with the comprehension of the theme of non-passive anger. As well as repetition, which is used to their draw the attention on the theme. The purpose of the poem was to cause a fire to burn inside, to rise up, and to not idly sit by when death comes nearby. By using figurative and musical devices, Dylan was able to appropriately convey his theme, which is to get angry, not let death have the final say, and rage.