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Jung An
Sandra Havriluk
ENGL1102
21 April 2014
Why Dylan Thomas and Emily Dickinson used a theme of death in their poem and what are the effects of the metaphorical expressions.
Most of students who study literature have experienced a trouble when they understand poetry. There are many genres in literature; poem, novel, drama, myth and so on. Generally, people do not have a difficult comprehension of a variety of literary genres except poem. In case of poem, even people read a poem, they do not understand what that means perfectly. Because, unlike other genres of literature, poetry consists of short sentences. Some of poems are not made up of grammatically correct sentences. Also, poetry has implications. Sometimes, the words a poet use have a different meaning, unlike original meaning. A figure of speech helps expression of topic of a poem more effectually. Theme relates to a mood and is an important clue what the poet want to say. Both “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” and “Because I Not Stop for Death” have a theme of death. Compare and contrast the figure of speech and the theme of death in the poem Dylan Thomas’s “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” and Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could Not Stop for Death” in this research paper.
What words used to express a theme of death in “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”? And why Dylan Thomas wrote “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”? “Good night” showed three times in the poem. The phrase connotes death. “Good night” has two meanings. One is death and the other is goodbye. “Close of day” also means end of life. These phrases express a theme of death. The second line “old age” is “my father” in the sixteenth line. Thomas said “my father” at the end of the last stanza...
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...'s description and the fact that there is no door, only a roof (the coffin's lid), suggests that just as there is no escape from death, there is no escape from the domestic deadening that marriage brings.
Through this research paper, readers could know that poems are implicit in poets’ intention although poems are shorter than any other literature genres. Dylan Thomas and Emily Dickinson used words, which related a dark image in the process of expressing a theme of death. Also, these poets told the emotions of the poets themselves, indirectly or directly. The metaphorical expression is one of figures of speeches. The metaphorical expression are used not their ordinary meaning, but a different meaning as a symbol or image. So, the metaphorical expression enriched poetic expressions in “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” and “Do Not Go Gentle in to a That Good Night”
Dylan Thomas sets the tone of his iconic poem with the title, which is also one of the recurring lines in the poem. When the speaker says “Do not go gentle into that good night”(1,6,12,18), he is saying that you should not peacefully accept death. In most cases, many people would consider a peaceful death as good of a death as there can be, but Thomas urges the reader to not accept it. While it may seem like an odd stance, one must consider that towards the end of the poem we learn the speaker is speaking to his father. In context of the poem, this is someone struggling to accept that his father is dying therefore he is begging his father to also not accept it. Another way Dylan Thomas is able to not only reinforce the defiant tone, but also reinforce the central message, is his repetition of critical
Dylan Thomas wrote the poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.” It is about a son’s plea to his father who is approaching death. Two lines are repeated in the poem and addressed directly to the father. These lines structure the first stanza and collaborate as a couplet in the last. They are repeated a lot but each time, they have different meanings: statements, pleas, commands, or petitions. Repetition and rhyme scheme are parts of prosody in poetry. The rhyme scheme is built on two rhymes and forms of a pattern. The two rhymes are night and day and the pattern is aba, and in the last stanza, abaa. Even though the poem seems to have too much repetition, the fascinating imagery is more important and readers pay more attention to that instead.
a) Emily Dickinson’s poem “"Because I could not stop for Death" uses a lighthearted and whimsical tone and the personification of Death to reveal how one’s potential reaction to death.
The power of the poet is not only to convey an everyday scene into a literary portrait of words, but also to interweave this scene into an underlying theme. The only tool the poet has to wield is the word. Through a careful placement and selection of words, the poet can hopefully make his point clear, but not blatantly obvious. Common themes of poems are life, death, or the conflicting forces thereto. This theme could never possibly be overused because of the endless and limitless ways of portraying life or death through the use of different words.
In literature, themes shape and characterize an author’s writing making each work unique as different points of view are expressed within a writing’s words and sentences. This is the case, for example, of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “Annabel Lee” and Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I could not stop for Death.” Both poems focus on the same theme of death, but while Poe’s poem reflects that death is an atrocious event because of the suffering and struggle that it provokes, Dickinson’s poem reflects that death is humane and that it should not be feared as it is inevitable. The two poems have both similarities and differences, and the themes and characteristics of each poem can be explained by the author’s influences and lives.
Emily Dickinson presents death in the poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” through the use of personification and the use of extended metaphor. William Cullen Bryant presents death through the use of the analogies in the poem “Thanatopsis.” Although each poet presents death differently, the meanings are similar.
Mortality is a subject often contemplated in both traditional and modern poetry. Traditionally, death has been viewed as a great leveler of people, and as a frightening, yet noble experience that is best approached with a quiet, dignified, Christ-like acceptance. In the work of some modern poets such as Dylan Thomas and Judith Wright, however, the message is a different one altogether. These poets advise the dying to not assume the role of the martyr, teaching by quiet example; rather, the dying are instructed to "rage, rage against the dying of the light" (Thomas) and "die like the tigersnake" (Wright) in order to send their messages to the living. While these two poets give these startling instructions with different goals in mind, one idea comes across clearly: that the image of the martyr quietly and knowingly accepting death is no longer an image that will satisfy modern poetry as it looks for reason in its examination of impending mortality.
Who does not cower in fear upon the thought of death? Almost everybody does! However, people have differing views on the abstract idea of dying. In examining the poem "Because I Could Not Stop For Death? by Emily Dickinson and "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night? by Dylan Thomas, it is evident that the poets use contrasting and comparative techniques in their unique presentations of the concept of death. In the poem "Because I Could Not Stop For Death? Emily Dickinson presents the idea of acceptance of death, whereas in the poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night? Dylan Thomas presents the idea of refusal and opposition to death. Despite the differences in theme, these two poets both use similar figurative language devices, such as metaphors, personification and alliteration as they explore their contrasting ideas pertaining to the concept of death. Through the use of their same literacy techniques, both of the authors have presented two very different perceptions on death: Dickinson's message is acceptance whereas Thomas?is rejection.
Many people find it hard to imagine their death as there are so many questions to be answered-how will it happen, when, where and what comes next. The fact that our last days on Earth is unknown makes the topic of death a popular one for most poets who looks to seek out their own emotions. By them doing that it helps the reader make sense of their own emotions as well. In the two poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickenson and “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas, the poets are both capturing their emotion about death and the way that they accepted it. In Dickenson’s poem her feelings towards death are more passionate whereas in Dylan’s poem the feelings
Imagery is a big component to most works of poetry. Authors strive to achieve a certain image for the reader to paint in their mind. Dickinson tries to paint a picture of ?death? in her own words. Thomas A. Johnson, an interpretive author of Dickinson's work, says that ?In 1863 Death came into full statue as a person. ?Because I could not stop for Death? is a superlative achievement wherein Death becomes one of the greatest characters of literature? (Johnson). Dickinson's picture to the audience is created by making ?Death? an actual character in the poem. By her constantly calling death either ?his? or ?he,? she denotes a specific person and gender. Dickinson also compares ?Death? to having the same human qualities as the other character in the poem. She has ?Death? physically arriving and taking the other character in the carriage with him. In the poem, Dickinson shows the reader her interpretation of what this person is going through as they are dying and being taken away by ?Death?. Dickinson gives images such as ?The Dews drew quivering and chill --? and ?A Swelling of the Ground --? (14, 18). In both of these lines, Dickinson has the reader conjure up subtle images of death. The ?quivering an chill? brings to the reader's mind of death being ...
In the poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas, the author most clearly has ideas on the topic of life and death. These topics create a theme that no matter how difficult life may be, you must continue to push on and survive while using your time on this Earth wisely. Through the use of stylistic devices and figurative language such as rhyme pattern, rhythm, metaphors, repetition, similes, and symbolism, the author effectively builds his theme, and adequately conveys it to the reader.
The Theme of Death in Poetry Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson are two Modern American Poets who consistently wrote about the theme of death. While there are some comparisons between the two poets, when it comes to death as a theme, their writing styles were quite different. Robert Frost’s poem, “Home Burial,” and Emily Dickinson’s poems, “I felt a Funeral in my Brain,” and “I died for Beauty,” are three poems concerning death. While the theme is constant there are differences as well as similarities between the poets and their poems. The obvious comparison between the three poems is the theme of death.
If we only knew the exact moment of our demise, we would learn to conquer life sooner. Known by its first line, “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” is not only Dylan Thomas’s most famous poem but it is also the most famous example of a villanelle. This poem is made up of nineteen lines consisting of five tercets and a quatrain, with the first and third lines of the opening tercet recurring alternately at the end of the other tercets and with both repeated at the close of the concluding quatrain. Normally, if something is repeated, its meaning is of great importance and in this poem “Do not go gentle into that good night,” (1, 6, 12, 18) and “Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” (3, 9, 15, 19) are two lines that could literally sum
When you think of death, what immediately comes to mind? Do you fear it and think of it as a horrifying dreadful ending event? Or, do you think of it as a peaceful harmonious ending event that is a start to a new beginning? I chose two poems with the subject of death and a similar message; one poem is written by John Donne and the other is written by Emily Dickinson. The message is that death is not the end, but it actually a new beginning toward “eternity.” Donne’s poem “Death, be not proud” and Dickinson’s poem “Because I could not stop for Death” will be thoroughly analyzed by taking note of the similarities and differences with the way Death is portrayed and how poem is written.
Death is a prominent pre-occupation in Emily Dickinson’s poetry that through compelling imagery constructs a repellently morbid picture in the reader's mind, epitomizing interesting ideas about people and their experiences in adjusting to their own mortality. Dickinson’s use of a caesura in the opening line, “I died for beauty-but was scarce”, is a visual trigger for the reader insinuating that the speaker is trying to come to terms with her death, she is nervous about continuing and as she pauses the reader pauses with her. Dickinson's use of evocative imagery and ambiguity conducts interesting ideas about people and their experiences. This forces the reader to immediately question how the speaker is dead and yet speaking?(PAUSE) Is the speaker truly dead or metaphorically stating that she died for an ideal?(PAUSE) The persona was also scarce, as in rare, in that it was unusual that someone could die for beauty and how seldom it is to find one who is willing to live in accordance with their ideals and principles. When the persona who died searching for some truth is introduced into the poem, through the metaphor “when one who died for truth was lain”, they respect and identify with one another after configuring that they both had given their lives on the altar of principle. Intriguing ideas are presented about people and their interactive