Dylan Thomas Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Dylan Thomas’ poem, Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night, was published in 1952, and is considered his most famous work. He wrote the poem about his dying father, telling him to fight and stay strong, despite his inevitably approaching death.

If you were in Dylan Thomas’ position at this time in his life, would you have reacted the same way to his father’s death and written a similar poem? This reader response question asks readers to put themselves in the author’s shoes and attempt to empathize with them. Would have given your father different advice upon reaching death? Would you give him any advice at all? Your answer to this question probably depends on the relationship you have or had with your father. It also depends on how you look

at death and how feel about it.
I personally would have told my father what Thomas did. Maybe I wouldn’t have given the same exact advice, but it would be along the same lines. I would tell my dad to be strong and not give up hope, even though I knew he was going to die. Instead of letting himself just fade away, I would want him to make the most of the time he had left. Although this would be an extremely hard thing to do, I believe it would be the best thing to do for both of us. Writing a poem like Thomas’ would make me feel better about my father’s death; I feel like he would go peacefully this way.