Do Not Go Gentle into the Good Night By Dylans Thomas

 

“Do Not Go Gentle into the Good Night”

 

-DYLANS 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.

 

Though wise men at their end know dark is right

Because their words had forked no lighting 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.

 

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight

And learn, too late, they grieved 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 the 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.

 

 

About the Poet

 

           Dylan Malais Thomas was born on October, 27, 1914, in Swansea, Wales.  He was a Welsh Poet and writer whose works include the poems: “Do not go Gentle into that Good Night”. “And death shall have no dominion”.  A Child’s Christmas in Wales and Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog.  He died November 9, 1953 in New York, United States, at the age of 39.  Unfortunately, his wife and three children are also late.  The last child died 2012.

            Before his death, he toured the United States four times.  A few days later, after a long drinking bout at Manhattan’s White Horse Tavern, Thomas collapsed at the Chelsea Hotel and died in a New York City Hospital. Three causes of his death were given during Thomas’ postmortem examination. They include: pneumonia, swelling of the brain and a fatty liver.

 

Background/Setting of the Poem

 

           The poem is an example of “villanelle” which is a pastoral or Iyrical poem of nineteen lines, with only two rhymes throughout, and some lines repeated alternatively until the last stanza.

           “Do not go gentle into the good night” is a poem written in motivation of Thomas’s father, David who is approaching death and the poet wants him to fall into several category of people who fight with death and keep the rage against death and not embrace it as it comes or as a natural fact of life.  At the beginning of the poem, the persona clarifies that the poem is an invocation of his dying father, as he entreats his father to struggle hard against death which is implied by the word “rage” and its repetition.  He again invokes his father not to give up but fight for life and survive.  Thomas also laments that though death is inevitable and cannot be averted.  Even the wisest monetary to escape the cold grip of death Thomas also wrote other poems such as “And death shall have no dominion on us” with death as the central theme.  The reason was that his family has long been battling with premature death and the only way to put an end to this was to try hard to resist death at all costs. This also motivates the poetic piece.  Biographically, Thomas’s father died of pneumonia while the sister died of cancer.  Thomas himself died at 39.  His wife Caitlin McNamara and her three children equally died soon after.

 

Content Analysis/Subject Matter

 

             “Do not Go Gentle into that Good Night” laments the necessity and inevitability of death, but the persona uses the title as an imperative statement to charge everyone or encourage the aged (elderly) to rebel against their fate.  The speaker also suggests that people can redeem themselves by bravely fighting against the odds, resisting death to the last by clinging tenaciously onto life.  The poet says that do not go gentle into that good night.  “Good night” refers to the night which has no end that is end of life-death.  The true sense of the poem is understood at the end when we learn that the poet’s father is approaching death and the poet wants him to fall into the second category of people who fight with death and keep the rage against death and not embrace it.

           Stanza one (lines 1-3):  The poet begins the poem with a note of command and instruction “Do not go gentle into that good night” meaning one should not be polite to take it calmly with death and not accept it the way it comes.  But “old age should burn and rave at close of day”.  The persona says it is not possible to avoid old age because it will surely come, but one should fight death till the end “against the dying of the light” (death).

            Stanza two (lines 4-6) describes how different personalities of people take death when it comes.  They are wise men who at their end know dark are light.  These are the smart people who face death as a fact of life, and they know that it will come one day and they willingly surrender to its darkness.

This is “because their words had forked no lighting they”.  This implies that they want to hold on to life to be able to leave their mark, thereby sustain their memory in history as great scholars or philosophers.  These wise men also know that no matter how strong they verbally combat death, this would not help them conquer death, so they let their lives end with no fighting or revolt.

           Stanza three (lines 7-9).  The persona proceeds and describes the next category of persons “good men” which is a contrast.  Good men are few on earth.  This is where Thomas’ father belongs; he still believes that since his father was a good man he can still be useful to the world.  The line “crying how bright” refers to men lamenting and commenting on their good deeds and achievements and people will sooner or later forget all these.  They self-proclaim their works as good but the persona moves on to tell us that “their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay”.  This means that their deeds will not be remembered regardless of their seemingly significant achievement.  “Green bay” refers to eternal sea which is symbolic of place in history (their names written in history).  These are the categories of persons who fight with death so that they can live more and taste the sweet fruits of their labor.

          Stanza four (lines 10-12):  The poet reveals the next group which is wild men.  These men realize too late that they are mere mortals, for they spend their lives in action and only realize that, as time has caught up with them; that the end has come because they live carefree life and they are not immune to death.  This set of people also surrendered in front of death and keep on grieving and crying when death comes.  They muster no power to fight with death and again go gentle into the laps of death.  “Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight” (10) exaggerates their experiences and how they have wasted away their days chasing what they could not catch. “Caught and sang the sun” refers to how these wild men lived.  They were dare-devils who faced peril with blissful ignorance.  They wasted their lives on adventures and merriment.  The next line, “And learn, too late, they grief it on its away” refers to the realism of their own mortality.  Even though the end is approaching they want more time to hold on to the adventure of their youth and need to correct a few things that they have done wrong.

            Stanza five (lines 13-15):  This stanza describes the grave men, the people who are very close to death, knowing fully well that death can come anytime because they “see with their blinding sight”.  (They feel the strains of a long life) and know they are physically decaying.  Their eyes are falling along with the rest of their body.  However, there is still a passion burning within their eyes for an existence, even if it is a frail state.  “Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay” represents man’s struggle for survival. These people feel that life is like meteor which comes and goes away.  They fight with death and do not go gentle into that good night.

           Last stanza (line 16-19) “The concluding part of the poem reveals the poet’s reasons for writing the poem.  His father is old and approaching death.

He is very much sad about this plight, and it hurts him to see him fading with the approaching death.  Thomas opines that all men no matter their experience or situation should fight for more time.  He urges his father to do same.  “Curse, bless, me now with fierce tears, I pray” describes pain and passion that are causing him to beg his father not to give in to death and should “rage against the dying of the light”.  It appears that his father has either peacefully surrendered himself or rather that he has resigned to his fate, after persuading his father to fight hard against death and live more. The poet therefore implores his father to keep the light glowing and he should not go gentle into the good night.  The poem ends with a plea to the persona, giving passionate but untimely       expression in the last two lines.

 

 

Themes

 

Inevitability of Death

 

           The poem presents the theme of death which is inevitable in different ways to show that life is a compulsory journey that everyone must embark on.  He uses the metaphor “that good night” in line one to give impression that death is right.  He calls it that good night instead of another ghastly term for death; he also calls it “the dying of the light” which suggests a peaceful surrender.  The persona does not only project death as unavoidable assignment but also presents the issue of death in an objective and subjective manner using four categories of person and their attitudes towards death.  They include wise men, good men, wild men and grave men. Some of these above-mentioned personalities have different viewpoints about death:

for some see it as a necessary end, while others imagine that there could be need to resist and fight death, which implies that some steps must be taken to avert death.  Such steps include: living a good life or using your resources to improve your lifespan.  For instance, wise men in stanza two, at their end know “that dark is light”.  These are the smart people who take death as a fact of life, and they know that it will come one day and they willingly surrender to it.  This is because their words had “forced no lightening they”.  This means that they want to hold on to life firmly to be able to leave their memory, mark or legacy, thereby sustaining their memory in history as great scholars or great men with gigantic achievements.

           However, these wise men also know that no matter how strong they verbally combat death, this would not help them conquer death.  So they let their lives end without resistance.  In the same token, the poem explores the theme of death through the use of metaphor.  That “good night” is death, the long sleep associated with darkness and grief.  This darkness is juxtaposed with the “light of life.  The person opines that even if death is inevitable, there is need for the elderly to “rage against the dying of the light” insisting that they should fight death and refuse to go “gentle” into the night of death, this would enable one to spend more years on earth.

 

Mortality versus Immortality

 

           The poem primarily centers on the mortality and immortality of human existence.  The persona charge mortals to challenge immortals which is symbolic of death.  All humans on earth are mere mortals and what distinguishes us from immortal being such as angels is death.  All humans on earth are mere mortals and what distinguishes us from immortal being such as angels is death.  In the poem therefore, the persona which is Thomas himself warns mortals vehemently not to succumb to death easily “Do not go gentle into that good night/old age should burn and rave at close of day”.  Here the poet says old age will come and threaten us, and that we should not yield to death even when it come calling.

           The poem is written in motivation of Thomas’ father, David who is approaching death as the family is known for premature death and the poet wants him to emulate the second category of people in stanza two who fight with death, thereby keeping the rage against death and not embracing it as a natural fact of life.  This poem is therefore a war between mortals (humans) and immortal (death), it is as a result of “thanatophobia” (fear of death) that propels Thomas to call for the contest between human beings and death.  The poem also present some people who are perfectly alright with being mere mortals, these are the wise men in the second stanza. 

These men know fully well no matter how strong and invincible they may become, this would not help them combat death.  Death therefore is immortal, inevitable, and invincible, and it’s a vehicle specially designed by the creator to checkmate the affair of human beings on earth.  Note that Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Crossing the Bar” and Thomas Dylan’s “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night” is both poems of meditation on death.  Tennyson reaffirms the presentation or proposition of death as inevitable and a journey across the sea, while Thomas is indifferent and pessimistic with wavering mind towards the potency of death; for he feels that one can conquer death.

 

Theme of Grief and Resistance

 

          It is a general fact of life that every living thing will cease to be at some point.  Thomas’s “Do not Go Gentle into the Good Night” reaffirms this elusive fact.  On account of this, the poem expresses grief and dismay in this meditational poem as he begs his dying father to cheat death.  The good men and the wild men also express their grief as soon as they realize that death will prevent them from continuing with their good work and seeking pleasure.  This is a natural response to death.

           It is worthy of note here that the poem is written in commemoration of his father, David who is approaching death, he therefore implores his father to resist it at all cost as he also dismisses those who often see death as inevitable and unavoidable.  The speaker laments bitterly over the attitude of some individuals towards death.  They include: the wise men, Good men, wild men and grave men.  The wise men are the smart people who take death as a fact of life, and they know that it will come someday because it would be totally out of place to resist it.  The second individuals are the good men and Thomas father inclusive.  The persona believes that his own father can still be useful to him, and in the meantime he should fight death so that they can live more years in order to enjoy his good deeds and achievements.  The persona therefore laments the necessity and inevitability of death, encouraging the aged to rebel against their fate which is death.

 

Essence of life

 

            This poem thematically contrasts life and death by pointing the needs to live and not succumb to death willingly.  The title of the poem “Do not go gentle into that good night” is an imperative (command) statement with stern warning not to peacefully walk into grave without resistance.  The persona therefore presents the essence of our existence when he uses four different individual to examine the nature of life and death; those who see death as a necessary end, that is , the wise men who want to hold on to life to be able to leave their marks.  So they let their lives end with no fighting spirit or revolt.

          The second categories of individuals are those who have chosen the path of life that are, the Good men.  Thomas’ dad belongs to this category because he still has the mindset that he will still be useful to the world and never wants to be forgotten as soon as possible.  So they want to live on so that their legacies and achievements and good deeds will continue to receive commendations.

          The last stanza unveils the poet’s reasons for writing this poem as his father is old and approaching death.  He is very much sad about this plight and he feels hurt to see his father fading with the approaching death.  He therefore pleads with his father to choose life and not to give in to death “rage against the dying of the light”.

 

 

Poetic Devices

 

1.   Metaphor:  As a poem with obvious figurative dimension, the poet makes use of a number of metaphorical expressions in the poem.  Beginning with the title itself, the idea of “good night” in the title refers to literary death or eternity.  Night is the end of one’s life and it represents death.  “Day” is the life span of one’ life and it represent life.

(i)    “The flying of sun” represents the bright and beautiful part of life.

(ii)   “The sun in flight” also represents the fact that life is short and transient.

(iii)  “The dying of the light” suggests a peaceful surrender to death.

(iv)  “Their words had forked no lightning they” represents those who have no ability to resist death.

(v)   “Sunset” represents the moment of death.

 

2.  Simile:  “Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay” (line 14). The persona likens the passing away to beyond to meteor, that is, a piece of rock from outer space that makes a bright line across the night sky as it burns up while falling through the earth atmosphere.  This shows that the grave men’s eyes are falling along with the rest of their body, yet there is still burning passion within their eyes for existence.

 

 

3.  Repetition:  It is predominantly used in the poem for emphasis and also to make the reader understand the central theme in the poem.  For example, the title of the poem is repeated five times in lines 1.6,12 and 18 to charge the addressee not to cave in for death.  The expression “rage”  “rage against the dying of the light” is also repeated in lines 3.9,15,19.

 

4.  Personification:  This poem employs personification to drive home the message of passing away to the beyond.  For example, “dying of light” in line 3 is a personification.  Here ‘night’ is said to possess human ability to die. ‘There frail deeds might have danced “is another example.  These presentation ascribe human capacities to the process of dying, ageing and human ability, which enable the reader to connect better with the subject matter.

 

5. Imagery:  The persona presents his experience through different imagery.  Visual imagery occurs frequently in the poem “that good night” in the title is an imagery for death.

(i)   ‘Because their words had forked no lightning / wise men at their end know dark is light’.  Here the speaker points out the wise men’s attitude towards death: they known death is inevitable and they are wise enough to continue to leave a mark in their lives before they could influence the world. “Green bay” is imagery for brimming life dominated by achievement. The visual imagery is used to buttress the theme of death and life.

(ii) “Range”, rage against the dying of the light” is an imperative expression which suggests protestation against death.

 

6.  Alliteration:  In the title of the poem “Do not go Gentle into the Good Night.  “Night” / “Fierce tear” are examples.

 

7.  Rhyme and Meter:  This poem is written in a villanelle form which is the poetic form of French.  They became popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s in English poetry.  A villanelle is divided into nineteen lines which comprises five tercet and a quatrain.

           The rhyme scheme of this poem is ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA.

E.g “night-day-night, right-they-night, bright-bay-light, flight-way-night, sight-guy-light, height-pray-night-light (ABAA)

 

8.  Refrain:  The use of repetition of the two refrains “Do not go gentle into that good night” and rage, rage, against the dying of the light is one effective device.  The two refrains work musical miracles in the poem and keep emphasizing and deepening the theme of the poem.  Here these refrains provide the poet with a suitable framework from his four characteristic types-wise, good, wild and grave men and enable him to equate them with his father’s character.  This repetition expresses one of the major themes: one should not accept death without resistance.

 

9.  Hyperbole:  There is a tone of exaggeration in line 2:  “Old age should burn and rave” to illustrate the process of ageing which could be fast.

 

10.  Euphemism:  “The use of mild expressions to replace the unpleasant or negative ones is also evident in the title of the poem “Do not go gentle into that good night”.  The expression “good night” is a euphemism for death. These include:  “Close of day”, dying of the light.  “Good men”, is a euphemism for those men who see death as inevitable in journey to the beyond. “Good men are those who try as much as possible to resist it.

 

11.  Use of Contrast:  Both thematically, and structurally the poem makes use of contrast.  The poet contrast death and life using four characters wise men, good men, wild men and grave men, and present their different views about death and life,  The “Wise men” willingly accept death without revolt while the good men are those who fight with all their might to resist death “Night” also contrast with “light”.

 

12.Assonance:  Rage, range, against.. the dying of the light.

 

13. Oxymoron: In line 17, “Curse bless me with your fierce tear”.  The speaker creates juxtaposition of two ideas, when he asks his father to curse “but also “bless” him. The two words are contradictory, “see with blinding sight is also a good example in line 13.

 

14. Tone:  The poetic attitude towards the subject matter is that of rejection and disapproving.

 

15.  Mood:  The persona also feels indifferent towards death as he runs down the power of death.

 

16.  Diction and Language:  The poet employs simple and straight forward diction.  But some expressions are a little bit difficult to explain because of the symbolic meaning of those words.  The poet also makes use of excess visual imagery such as “night”, “day”, “bright”, “sight” to suggest or buttress the theme of death and life or hope and hopelessness. 

 

LIKELY WAEC/NECO 2021-2025 EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

 

1.   Examine the poet’s attitude to death in the poem.

2.   Discuss the theme of death and life in the poem.

3.   Assess the use of symbolism/imagery use by the poet.

4.   With copious examples, discuss any four (4) poetic devices used in the poem.

5.   Attempt a metaphorical or symbolic interpretation of the poem.

6.   “Do not go gentle into that good night”.  Critically examine this line against the backdrop of the depiction of life in the poem.

7.   Discuss the significance of any four (4) characters or category of personalities mentioned in the poem.

8.   Give a detailed account of the poem and comment on the interpretation of its title.

9.   Identity and discuss any two major themes of the poem.

10. Discuss “Do not go gentle into the good night” as a poem that attempts to disapprove with the power of death.