Death is not a topic which is typically discussed lightly. It is sobering to think of dying and the feelings involved in this inevitable part of life. The emotive topic has been expressed through poetry. Two writers, Dylan Thomas and John Donne, specifically, have created two opposing yet simultaneously similar poems that reflect their personal standpoints on handling the end of life. These poems by Thomas and Donne, titled “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night” (page 768) and “Death Be Not Proud” (page 808), respectively, yield a comparison in the topic of death where each poem agrees to not fear death, instead to fight it, but within that, for dichotomized reasons; Thomas feels a need to boisterously face death head on while Donne’s fight
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Do not go gentle into that good night.
Here, it can be understood that Thomas is sad for his father’s nearing death, but encouraging him to curse him. The author believes to be cursed by his father would reveal any sign of rage, fire and therefore life he may still have despite his dying condition; from that, possibly reflecting the strength his father held while he was living. Thomas compares his father’s life to that of “wise men” (line four),“good men” (line seven), “wild men” (line ten) and “grave men”(line thirteen, stanza five). These men, in Thomas’s eyes, live full and worthwhile lives and are not ready to die, feeling there is more to live for when death approaches. At the time of dying, they will “Rage, rage against the dying of the light” and not “go gentle into that good night” (lines six, nine, twelve and fifteen)**** because their lives were too powerful and effective in different ways to simply go out quietly. Thomas feels if his father chose slip away with death effortlessly, in contrast to John Donne’s poem “Death Be Not Proud”, he would be disgracing his own apparently admirable …show more content…
Donne speaks to death directly and refuses to be negatively controlled by it. He too wants to put up a fight against death, although contrary to Thomas, in an undisturbed way. He encourages one to embrace the departure of life quietly and with welcoming arms. Death is a heavy topic, and many are afraid of the day when death knocks on their door. Donne tells death to hide it’s pride in the fear it evokes in humankind and says in line two, making his unwavering confidence against death apparent, “Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so”. He continues to support this with his evident non-cowardice against death by comparing the act of dying, in lines 5-8, to that of sleeping, a wonderfully peaceful and restorative act. He
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Here, it can be understood that Thomas is sad for his father’s nearing death, but encouraging him to curse him. The author believes to be cursed by his father would reveal any sign of rage, fire and therefore life he may still have despite his dying condition; from that, possibly reflecting the strength his father held while he was living. Thomas compares his father’s life to that of “wise men” (line four),“good men” (line seven), “wild men” (line ten) and “grave men”(line thirteen, stanza five). These men, in Thomas’s eyes, live full and worthwhile lives and are not ready to die, feeling there is more to live for when death approaches. At the time of dying, they will “Rage, rage against the dying of the light” and not “go gentle into that good night” (lines six, nine, twelve and fifteen)**** because their lives were too powerful and effective in different ways to simply go out quietly. Thomas feels if his father chose slip away with death effortlessly, in contrast to John Donne’s poem “Death Be Not Proud”, he would be disgracing his own apparently admirable …show more content…
Donne speaks to death directly and refuses to be negatively controlled by it. He too wants to put up a fight against death, although contrary to Thomas, in an undisturbed way. He encourages one to embrace the departure of life quietly and with welcoming arms. Death is a heavy topic, and many are afraid of the day when death knocks on their door. Donne tells death to hide it’s pride in the fear it evokes in humankind and says in line two, making his unwavering confidence against death apparent, “Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so”. He continues to support this with his evident non-cowardice against death by comparing the act of dying, in lines 5-8, to that of sleeping, a wonderfully peaceful and restorative act. He