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Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night Essay

1046 Words5 Pages

Dylan Thomas’ poem, “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”, explores the various emotional reactions associated with aging and the anxiety towards nearing death. However, Thomas encourages his audience to actively resist against death, rather than to comply with it. Not only is the primary focus of this poem revolved around the inevitability of death and dying, it addresses life and how it is lived. The six stanzas within the villanelle provides a seemingly simple rhythmic structure, which complements with the complex message of mortality, old age, and fleeting moments. Thomas’s use of diction and word choice illustrates the themes present within the piece that highlights the imagery within the poem. Within, “Do Not Go Gentle into …show more content…

The Wise men, introduced in the second stanza, states that these rational people realize that death is inevitable and appropriate although they do not simply accept it. The line, “because their words ha[d] forked no lightning they do not go gentle into that good night” (Lines 5-6), signifies that their effort towards making the “lightning” split failed. The lightning represents an element beyond human control, therefore although the “Wise men” dedicated their lives to split the lightning, they still did not make their mark on the world. Therefore, their conscience may never be relieved as they do not ease gently into death, knowing that they failed to accomplish a notable achievement. Nevertheless, in the third stanza the “Good men” are introduced as Thomas characterizes this group as men who had potential, lost due to their short-lived life. Although, it is unclear whether these men had died from old age or by sudden disaster as these men cried how great their actions could have been if had been allowed to live a longer life. To demonstrate, “the last wave by, crying how bright their frail deeds might have dance in a green bay” (lines 7-8), as the green bay represents life. The “Wild men” are illustrated as individuals who celebrated life and refused to

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