Two Distinct Interpretations of Death and Mortality

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Recommended: The structure of the title do not go gentle in to that good night and analysis of the poem by Dylan Thomas

The poems ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’ by Dylan Thomas and ‘Because I could not stop for Death’ by Emily Dickinson, give two distinct interpretations of the theme of death and mortality. Thomas laments to his dying father, grieving the inevitability of death while also stressing that death should be fought against rather than quietly accepted, using diction and imagery to build up an intense, persuasive tone. In contrast, Dickinson expresses a peaceful acceptance of death and portrays it as a passage to eternal life, using diction, imagery and personification to create a calm, serene tone.

In his poem, Thomas uses the contrasting metaphor of light and dark to stresses his message that aged men should fight death strongly despite its certainty. The two refrains in the poem are important instances of this. In the first refrain, “Do not go gentle into that good night,” Thomas compares a lifespan to a day, with night symbolising death, thus saying that one should not accept death easily. The symbol of night puts death in a negative light from the very first line, as night is often associated with darkness and danger. “Rage, rage against the dying of the light” reiterates the first refrain, the repetition of “rage” accentuating the poem’s zealous tone by urging the audience to rebel aggressively against death. Comparing death to dying of the “light”, a word usually linked to cheerfulness, makes it seem unwelcoming and unexciting. In contrast, bright imagery such as “burn and rave,” and “lightening” is used to symbolise living and rebelling against death, giving the poem a zestful mood.

Furthermore, the poet illustrates his message using examples of different types of men who want to resist death, so as to persuade his fa...

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... with carefully crafted tone and atmosphere. Dickinson’s poem evokes a keen sense of mystique and bizarreness because of its unusual perspective on death and its beautiful yet contextually strange imagery. Thomas’ poem has a vehement quality with fervent, raw emotions and powerful imagery that make it very moving. While I found Dickinson’s poem intriguing, I connected more to the passionate spirit of Do not go gentle into that good night. Even though it accepts the inevitability of death, the poem addresses the need to fight against it, and is ultimately an anguished and humane interpretation of the theme.

Works Cited

Thomas, Dylan. “Do not go gentle into that good night.” Poets.org. .

Dickinson, Emily. “Because I could not stop for Death.” Poets.org. .

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