Purpose of Life: Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas

Dylan Thomas’ poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” focuses on the purpose of life. Dylan Thomas suggests that the ultimate consequences an individual faces are those that result from the effortless acceptance of giving into death which, in turn, forces him to fight it rather than mutually accepting its fate. The poet conveys this message through the articulate structure of the poem, by the use of poetic conventions and through the perspective of four types of men who journey through life.

Through all six stanzas, the poet uses a distinctive “aba, aba, aba, aba, aba, abaa” rhyme scheme. In each stanza, the “aba” pattern stresses the significance of the middle line as if it were to hold more importance. This unique pattern in effect also isolates the auditor’s attention to the middle line of each stanza, as the line stands out and does not comply with the rhyme scheme of the surrounding lines around it. It is also noted that although the middle line in each stanza does not rhyme with the lines it is embedded into, it directly rhymes with the second line of previous stanza as well as proceeding; classified as the “b” pattern. The rhyme scheme incorporated into the poem allows the stanzas to flow as if they were a passing of time. In each of the stanzas, the central line directly indicates a negative outcome of the individual’s actions. For instance, in the second stanza which refers to the “wise men” (4) the speaker says “Because their words had forked no lightning they” (5) which indicates that the wise man’s intellectual ability and his knowledge proved to be seldom useful in life. In the third stanza, the speaker makes reference to the “Good men” (7) and says in the second line, “Their frail deeds might have d...

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...ed by one’s life. despite how many negative consequences a person may face in life, the ultimate consequence of which they should battle is that of death.

In conclusion, Dylan Thomas’ work “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” signifies that the true purpose of life is negligible if an individual does not continue to fight until he reaches his deathbed. Thomas portrays his message through the unique structure of the poem, the various poetic conventions used as well as his connection to different types of men. In this way, it is as if the poet indirectly describes how to live a delegated life by making the most out of every moment, especially old age.

Works Cited

Dylan Thomas. “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night." BBC Wales. BBC, 6 Nov. 2008. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. .