Poem: Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night By Dylan Thomas; This poem is necessary for students who are sitting for the following examinations and should be studied so as to stand a chance of passing the exams. JAMB, WAEC, NECO, GCE.
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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 lightning 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 it 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 be 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.
THEMES
Theme of Death:
Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night is a poem whose main theme is death.
It thus begs the question: How does the poet depict death in Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night? At least two elements of death are represented in this poem. These include the certainty of death and the fact that dying is a necessary component of life.
The Certainty of Death
The subject of mortality in Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night can also be used to describe this aspect of the theme of death. Every living person is doomed to death since they are mortal, according to Dylan Thomas, who makes this obvious in this poem.
The poet’s character is cognizant of and accepts death as a reality. He understands that everyone eventually passes away no matter how long they live.
He mentions the deaths of numerous people before his father and numerous people after him because of this. For instance, the wise, the good, the dead, and the wild will pass away at some point.
Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night’s message is very straightforward. Even if death is unavoidable, we do not have to give up on life without a valiant effort.
The Virtue of Death
The attractiveness of death is another aspect of the death topic in Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night. The poet views death as a necessary component of life.
Although it is difficult to accept, death is “good,” just as “night” is less preferable than light.
As a result, he states it explicitly in the title and reiterates it in practically every line of the poem.
This poet’s nonchalant attitude toward death may be a symptom of man’s helpless acceptance of his fate—whether he likes it or not, he must pass away one day. Therefore, why not simply accept it as is?
The poet frequently asserts that death is desirable, but he also stresses that we must never permit death.
A Filial Love Theme
One of the key themes of Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night is the concept of filial love or the affection a child has for his or her parent.
The poet depicts the strong relationship between a “frail” dying father and a helpless mourning son who addresses him with overwhelming passion by using the literary device known as the apostrophe.
There is no doubt about their affection for one another. It is the kind of love that endures from the start to the day of the ultimate breakup. Here, the character shows his love for the elderly guy by sitting at his bedside as he passes away. In what may be the dying man’s greatest moment of vulnerability, he approaches him personally, imploring, supporting, and encouraging him.
Once more, the poem’s final verse shows how moved the protagonist is. Even before this significant loss in his life occurs, he has already begun to grieve.
The Struggle Theme
The subject of resistance is another name for it.
Because life itself is a war, man is born with an inherent drive to fight till the very end.
Dylan Thomas underlines this traditional idea of man’s life in his poem Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night.
All kinds of men and women have engaged in their own wars of resistance throughout human history against man’s natural foes.
To leave a noble legacy for future generations, they have persisted in fighting against such enemies of humanity as death.
So long as there is life, fighting is desirable. One more of Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night’s major themes is this.
The poet emphasizes the topic of battle in the poem by using words and idioms like fury, burn, rave, lightning, flame, and meteors.
The Change Theme
As one of the topics of Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night, transformation can also be discussed.
This topic of transformation is connected in some way to the theme of death’s inevitable arrival.
This appears to be the poet’s message. We must develop coping mechanisms for dealing with death and other similar catastrophic transitions, which are inevitable parts of life.
It is better to respond creatively to change than to accept it apathetically when it knocks. The people who persevere in the face of difficult transitions are the ones that inspire pride in their offspring.
POETIC DEVICES USED IN THE POEM
Alliteration: When the same consonant sound appears at the start of several words, it is known as alliteration. For instance, the words “learn” and “late” in line two of the fourth stanza and “Blind” and “flame” in line two of the fifth stanza both appear in the poem.
Enjambment: Enjambment is when a line is abruptly ended by the poet before it would naturally end, as in the transition between lines two and three of the second stanza.
Imagery: Imagery appears when a poet utilizes a particularly potent description. The third stanza’s words like “Good men, the last wave passes, crying how bright / Their weak deeds might have danced in a green bay” are an example.
SUMMARY OF THE POEM
Dylan Thomas’s powerful poem, “Do not go gentle into that good night,” defines death and exhorts readers to fight it for as long as they can.
For the majority of the poem, the speaker urges readers—and it turns out, their own father—to resist dying softly and calmly. It is not advisable to merely accept its arrival and travel there voluntarily. Since there is still more they can do to change the world, good people hold out until the very end. The same is true for courageous and vivacious individuals who are aware of how wonderful and exciting life can be.
The speaker turns to speak to their father, a significant figure in their lives, in the last stanza. The speaker wants this elderly person to “rage” against the gloom with the rest of us.
QUESTIONS IN THE POEM
1. What is the central theme of Do Not Go Gentle?
2. How does the poet present death in Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night?
3. Discuss the theme of death in Do Not Go Gentle..
4. Comment on the portrayal of death in Do Not Go Gentle
5. Discuss the use of diction and imagery in the poem.
6. Why does the persona find it difficult to accept the death of his father?
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