Born in 1914, in Swansea, Wales, Dylan Thomas was one of the most famous Welsh poets of the 20th century. Thomas was an introverted, passionate and lyrical writer who, at the age of sixteen, left school to become a journalist for a local newspaper. Although many of his works appeared in print while he was still a teenager, it was the publication of his first collection of poetry in 1934 that made him instantly famous in the literary world. “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” is one of his most popular poems, first published in the journal Botteghe Oscure in 1951. It has been suggested that this poem was dedicated to his dying octogenarian, father whose eyesight and general health were failing. The poem is a protest against the idea of surrendering
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Thomas himself certainly burned with zest for life, for he was known to have led a tempestuous life, both in terms of the women with whom he was involved and his reckless and heavy drinking. In his later life, he also acquired a reputation, which he encouraged as a “roistering, drunken and doomed poet”. Unfortunately, only two years after the publication of “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” about his father’s approaching death, Thomas himself died at the age of 39, from alcohol poisoning and abuse. Although, Thomas died before he could fully express his literary potential, he left behind many enduring works that promise to last through ages and he remains one of the greatest modern poets of the 20th century.
“Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” is one of the finest examples of the poetic form known as the villanelle. The highly structured villanelle is a nineteen line poetic form consisting of …show more content…
In the first stanza, Thomas expresses the idea that moving towards death should not be done in a resigned manner, but rather that we should fight it and leave with a blaze of glory. The opening line, “Do not go gentle into that good night”, which also serves as the title of the poem, contains the euphemistic metaphor for death¬¬¬, “that good night” ¬– that is, a metaphor associated with death but termed ‘good’ gives a connotation to overcome its negative implication. It also insinuates the idea that death is the right or a ‘good’ thing at the end of life. The line also uses the adjective ‘gentle’ instead of the adverb ‘gently’, which gives the implication of like a ‘gentleman’. As a result, one finds the poet describing the man rather than the manner, which gives a connotation of ‘Do not go like a gentleman would into death’. The stereotype of gentlemen is to accept and deal with their fate, which in this case, their death, peacefully and virtuously. Hence, Thomas is urging him to not go like a gentleman, look foolish and ungentlemanly if you would, by do not accept it. This message is contrary to the common association of a peaceful death. The phrase ‘old age’ is also a personification that could also be interpreted as a metonymy for his father. “Burn and rave” are intense expressions of life, light and brightness, which insinuates that old men should be
Thomas himself certainly burned with zest for life, for he was known to have led a tempestuous life, both in terms of the women with whom he was involved and his reckless and heavy drinking. In his later life, he also acquired a reputation, which he encouraged as a “roistering, drunken and doomed poet”. Unfortunately, only two years after the publication of “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” about his father’s approaching death, Thomas himself died at the age of 39, from alcohol poisoning and abuse. Although, Thomas died before he could fully express his literary potential, he left behind many enduring works that promise to last through ages and he remains one of the greatest modern poets of the 20th century.
“Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” is one of the finest examples of the poetic form known as the villanelle. The highly structured villanelle is a nineteen line poetic form consisting of …show more content…
In the first stanza, Thomas expresses the idea that moving towards death should not be done in a resigned manner, but rather that we should fight it and leave with a blaze of glory. The opening line, “Do not go gentle into that good night”, which also serves as the title of the poem, contains the euphemistic metaphor for death¬¬¬, “that good night” ¬– that is, a metaphor associated with death but termed ‘good’ gives a connotation to overcome its negative implication. It also insinuates the idea that death is the right or a ‘good’ thing at the end of life. The line also uses the adjective ‘gentle’ instead of the adverb ‘gently’, which gives the implication of like a ‘gentleman’. As a result, one finds the poet describing the man rather than the manner, which gives a connotation of ‘Do not go like a gentleman would into death’. The stereotype of gentlemen is to accept and deal with their fate, which in this case, their death, peacefully and virtuously. Hence, Thomas is urging him to not go like a gentleman, look foolish and ungentlemanly if you would, by do not accept it. This message is contrary to the common association of a peaceful death. The phrase ‘old age’ is also a personification that could also be interpreted as a metonymy for his father. “Burn and rave” are intense expressions of life, light and brightness, which insinuates that old men should be