Analysis Of Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Death is an unfortunate and yet inevitable part of life. This tragic life event has been brought to life in the haunting poems,"Clearances","Not Waving but Drowning" and "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night". In the poem "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night," author Dylan Thomas is speaking about avoiding death despite this the tone of the poem has a calm demeanor. These poems take the morbid idea of life and display the intertwining beauty seen in both life and death. The eloquent words in the poems demonstrate a frightening part of life in a way that gives a sense of hope that even in death life lives on.

The poem "Not Waving but Drowning" by Stevie Smith is an unforgettable frightful piece of work; even the title itself brings to mind

the cruel and unforgiving perceptions of mankind. This poem is a bit more on the morbid side of death and human interactions. While still highlighting the immense characteristic of human persistence though the line "Nobody heard him, the dead man But still he lay moaning." This line demonstrates the fact that although the man's cries went un-noticed still he moans into the distance for help he may never receive. The poem also illustrates the fact that even the happiest and most explorative people will soon see the end. The voices in this piece of work jump from observer to observer showing the different views of the death of this man from the point of view of many. While reading this poem it almost felt like a conversation between people observing the body of the unfortunate soul of the dead man.

Unlike "Not Waving but Drowning" Dylan Thomas takes a different view with his poem "Do Not Go into That Good Night." In which Thomas takes a cynical approach and shows more of the fight for life given by the author's father. In the poem, Thomas says, "Rage, rage against the dying light" this is showing the gentle nature dying by using "the dying light." The light to me represents the bright and quiet future that is beyond our world whether he is fighting it or not the "light" has a peaceful aura to it. The author also makes another point about how the restless may never rest through the line; "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". The idea that wise men expect the dark is a haunting thought, the fact that the most intelligent of people minds wonder too often ever to be able to bask in the light. In the poem, it is mentioned that no matter how good the deeds done in life they all they equally on the ground in death. (Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay.)