Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night Analysis

Dylan Thomas ' poem Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night is about a son’s bereavement and the acceptance of his father dying. Thomas knows death is inevitable, therefore, he uses persuasion to get his father to resist his imminent death. Thomas uses examples of different characters, and how they fight the oncoming of death to aid in that plea. Anger and frustration sets the tone of this poem, he wants his father to live and not give up on life. While wise men, good men, wild men, and grave men have differences they each learn too late, and lament their lack of foresight, even they “do not go gentle into that good night,” instead they “Rage, rage against the dying of the light” . Through Thomas’ use of building blocks like form and character he creates an observation of every man’s last resort to begging his father to not give into death.

True, Thomas is angry, but no child wants to lose a parent. Thomas’ father is dying and naturally Thomas is having a difficult time accepting his father’s death. Thomas wants his father to understand that even his “old age should burn and rage at close of day” . He should not give up without a fight. While Thomas’ tone is tender toward his father it is a desperate plea that he “not go gentle into that good night” .

Thomas creates this picture using

This strict form of the villanelle emphasizes the dissatisfaction Thomas feels with his father’s fast approaching death. Therefore, he writes this villanelle poem for his dying father to encourage him to fight for his own life. While men of differences may learn too late, and lament their lack of foresight, even they “do not go gentle into that good night,” instead they “Rage, rage against the dying of the light. ” . Thomas’ elements of form and character create every attempt to influence his father not to give up easily on dying, but it allows Thomas to cope with the