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Dylan Thomas 'Because I Could Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night'

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Synthesis Essay
“Do Not go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas
“Because I Could Not Stop For Death” by Emily Dickinson

While both of these poems have the overall themes of Mortality, “Because I Could Not Stop For Death” is about Death itself, while “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” is about the act of Dying and the end of Life. While they are both lyric poems Dylan Thomas’ poem, “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” has a clear morale or message. It states that one should “not go gentle into that good night.” and “rage, rage against the dying of the light.” In other words to die fighting, instead of lying down. “Because I Could Not Stop For Death” by Emily Dickinson has no such message readily apparent. Instead of presenting …show more content…

“Do Not” and less obviously “Because” both use the onset of night or the setting sun to symbolize death. “Do Not” also uses the “light” to represent life and bright symbols like meteors, lightning and the act of Catching the Sun are used to tell of its intensity. Meanwhile Emily Dickinson represents the grave with a house described as “a swelling of the ground.” The carriage in the poem is akin to something similar to the ferry that takes souls across the river Styx and the journey in said carriage can be interpreted as being a metaphor for the journey between the cradle and the grave. The carriage goes past “The school, where children strove.” then “the fields of gazing grain” then finally “the setting sun.” If you take these three settings to represent Childhood, Middle Age and Seniority using the Schoolyard, golden fields of grain, and the setting sun. Metaphorically the three stages of life can be seen as being represented in this poem.

While the two poems “Do Not Go Gently into that Good Night” and “Because I Could Not Stop For Death” have similar themes they are otherwise completely different. There is more symbolism in “Because” while the Meter in “Do Not” is followed far more strictly. “Do Not” also has a crystal-clear moral. Emily Dickinson’s poem has none such clear-cut message. Because of this, they are, in all actuality completely different poems, even though they have similar themes. Because of its intrinsic nature

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