DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY

Villa de Bacolor, Pampanga

GRADUATE SCHOOL

HIPOLITO, JAIRA MAE O. MAED-ENGLISH 1A

THE TEACHING OF
LITERATURE

“DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT” by DYLAN THOMAS

Analyzing one’s literary piece is a fiddly yet rewarding process. We may have different explications
than of the writer, this is where the power of unique imagination takes place. Everyone’s illusion and revelation
are exceptional just like how our thumbprints are. How wonderful to think we can produce thousands of sole
analyses in just one literary piece. Here in this paper another mind is about to be quenched by construing Dylan
Thomas’ “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”.
“Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” is one of Thomas’ most renowned poem and in fact, might be one of
the most famous poems of 20th century.

 The Set Off of the Poem

By reading the blog posted by Ashley Robinson of Prep Scholar, I have found out that Dylan Thomas’ father
was a grammar teacher, because of this, his father immersed him to the sensations of language by means of
reading him Shakespeare’s piece before bed at night. His father had always thought of becoming a poet but did
not fulfill this dream.
Carrying his father’s influence, Dylan wrote numerous poems, one of this is the “Do Not Go Gentle into That
Good Night”. Some experts say that this poem is written during a specific moment in his life, it was also
suggested that it is written as an expression of his grief to the fact that his father is dying.
 The Meaning of the Poem
Upon reading the poem, several lines depict the concept of accepting death. We have different views in
accepting death, some may see it in an optimistic way, that death may open a pavement to the conclusion of the
mysteries of life. Some may see it in a darker aspect that death is a punishment and downfall of the blisses in
life. In this poem, Dylan Thomas’ perception in accepting death is in the off-putting facet. During the times of
death of his father, he comprehended that death is natural, it cannot be diverted nor prevented but can be
confronted. He infused his readers not to accept death inactively by writing the lines "not go gentle into that
good night" and "rage against the dying of the light,". He reiterated that you could choose how you face death,
keenly or reflexively.

 The Premises of the Poem

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GRADUATE SCHOOL

1. Death is Inevitable.
Dylan Thomas’ frustration in accepting death was instilled through his work by urging his readers to fight death
instead of accepting it peacefully. According to him, it is indeed great to fight a pinch more than you could
before you die, just like how the characters in movies do. But his work does not promulgate the triumph in
death, you cannot simply escape death just like how you miss meals. No matter what energy we bring, if death
comes, it comes. What Dylan is advocating is to face the fate wrangling until the last blink of the eyes.
2. Life is beautiful.
The contrasting idea of life and death is very dominant in the poem. In fact, Dylan Thomas used metaphors in
describing these two powerful concepts: night and darkness for death, and light for life.

 The Imaginative Marks

1. The Usage of Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition refers to process of fusing two opposite things. As what I have said a while ago, the contrasting
conception of life and death is prevailing in the poem. Other opposing ideas were also presented on the poem.
Here are the examples of it.

 Citing the line: “Old age should burn and rave at close of day.”

“Old age” pertains to life wherein in a typical set up, when you age, you have life.
“Close of day” pertains to death.

 Citing the line: “Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.”

Curse and bless were used in one line. The devastated author asked for someone to curse and bless him.
2. The Usage of Enjambment
Enjambment refers to breaking of line in the middle of a sentence of a poem. It embarks emphasis and tension
while reading. It may also project a cliff hanging impression which hooks the attention of the readers. A great
example of it is its title “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”. Dissecting the title:
“Do Not Go Gentle” – Questions may be twisted: Why not go gentle? It was good to always go gentle.
“into That Good Night” – Answering the popped question, to not be gentle into that good night. Having an
interesting conclusion never accept gently the “good night” which is death.

3. Imageries
 Sight – the ticking of sense of sight is made possible through these and lines:
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a. The colors in the line: "Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright/Their frail deeds might have
danced in a green bay."
b. The description light in the line: “Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,”
 Hearing – the tingling of sense of hearing is made possible through these lines:
a. The presence of articulating of words in this line: “Because their words had forked no lightning…”
b. The presence of praying, cursing, and blessing in this line: “Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears,
I pray.”

4. Symbolisms
The usage of symbols is overriding in the poem. Here are the examples:
 “Dying of Light and Good night – Death
 Blind eyes – unacceptance
 Light – Life
 Green bay – life full of light and energy
 Grave men – dying men
 Sad height – last days of life.

 The Voice and Tone of the Poem

Upon reading the poem, having been exposed to the early stanzas of it, the poem is in the Third Person, but in
the latter part the author is already addressing his father directly. The poem has a profound and melancholic
tone, which reflects to the reactions of Dylan Thomas towards the alleged death of his father.

 The Type of Poem

The poem has its distinct structure. It has 19 lines which makes it a Villanelle type of poem.  A villanelle must have
nineteen lines. Villanelles also contains five tercets and a concluding quatrain. That is a fancy way of saying that the
nineteen lines are divided into five stanzas with three lines each (tercets) and one stanza with four lines (a quatrain). A
villanelle should also have two refrains and two repeating rhymes. A refrain is a set of lines that repeats itself in regular
intervals throughout a poem, especially at the end of a stanza. In Thomas' poem, the lines "Do not go gentle into that good
night" and "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" are refrains. In villanelles, the refrain comprises the last lines of the
poem. Repeating rhymes are words that rhyme the same way.

 The Rhyming Scheme

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The rhyming scheme of the poem is not that complex. It is ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA. The poem
contains only two rhymes in iambic pentameter. With this scheme, it makes the poem fascinating to read, plus it
makes the readers interested and impressed with every detail exerted for the piece.