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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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
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