Metaphors and Repetition in Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

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Metaphors and Repetition in Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

In Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night," the speaker is a son talking to his aging father and pleading with him to fight against death. The son knows that death is the inevitable end to every life, but feels one should not give up to death too easily. By using metaphor, imagery, and repetition, Thomas reinforces the son's message that aging men see their lives with sudden clarity and realize how they might have lived happier, more productive lives. These men rail against fate, fighting for more time to set things right.

The son uses dark and the end of day as metaphors for death. He tells his father "old age should burn and rave" at death rather than grow dim and peacefully slip away. The light and dark comparison is also used to create a vivid picture of dying men struggling to keep the darkness at bay. "The dying of the light" brings a sudden, brief illumination to old men so that they see their lives clearly when it is too late....

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