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Comparing The Fish And Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

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Death and the idea of death are often sore and uncomfortable subjects that don’t make the list of “the most enticing topics to make new friends with”. However, it is packaged tightly with what is life. When you have one, you have the other. The poems The Fish by Elizabeth Bishop, Not Waving but Drowning by Stevie Smith, and Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas all have themes of death and choices that are made before death, both by oneself and those around them. They all vary a bit since there are many different aspects of death and loss. For example, The Fish has underlying themes of self-improvement for the benefit of yourself and others, who might be struggling with life, while Not Waving but Drowning portrays what it can …show more content…

This poem shows how easy choosing to give up is, how influential lending a hand to others can be, and how viewing life in a new way can benefit you and the people around you. Shortly after the speaker catches the fish, she notices that the fish “...didn’t fight. He hadn’t fought at all.” (pg. 25), as if it lacked the will to live or as if it had just completely given up before trying. In the end, the speaker “... stared and stared and victory filled up the little rented boat, from the pool of bilge where oil had spread a rainbow around the rusted engine to the bailer rusted orange, the sun-cracked thwarts, the oarlocks on their strings, the gunnels- until everything was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow! And [she] let the fish go” (pg. 26). In the midst of her observations, she saw the beauty of life and what it had to offer, she let the fish go because she had a newfound appreciation for nature. In doing so, she gave the fish a second chance at life. Many people find themselves in the position of the fish, feeling hopeless and finding it difficult to go on. Asking for help or taking others up on their support isn’t shameful and can go a long

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