Theme Of Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Dylan Thomas’ poem “Do not go gentle into that good night” is about death, old age, anger and regret. Thomas uses rhymes, metaphors and symbols for the tone and themes of “Do not go gentle into that “good night,” for life, death, anger and old age. Thomas uses the characterization of four types of old aged men who are close to death, to rebel against death with anger because they still have unfinished business and they will die with regret. Thomas wrote the poem as a plea to his dying father to rage against death just as he raged in life, because this was the only way he knew his father before illness and old age overtook his body, mind and spirit in the latter part of his life. “Do not go gentle into that good night,” suggests that even if …show more content…
The men realize that they have failed to fulfil their lives because they lived a certain lifestyle, they have regrets and must fight death to do things they have not done. The first type of men is wise men, who may be considered intellectual scholars, these men understand that death is the inevitable end for all; therefore, they accept that they must die (Napierkowski 52). Since wise men’s words have “forked no lightning,” their words have made no impact or change in the world, because they have not left their mark on the world with their knowledge; they still have unspoken and unwritten words to share with the world before they die. The second type of men are good men, men who have lived acceptable and worthy lives, whose “last wave by” means the last life-affirming moments of their lives have ended, their “frail deeds” are the things they did not do, and “green bay” represents better opportunities (“Full Lecture”). Thus, “crying how bright their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,” can be translated that the good men cry because if they had better opportunities, they would have done more with their lives (“Full Lecture”). The third type of men is wild men, “who have caught and sang the sun in flight,” which may be interpreted as men who have embraced the love for life, who have done great things during their lifetime and were able to tell others about all …show more content…
Thomas uses the four types of men in this poem to support his belief that the old aged should challenge death because there is more to live for. This essay is limited in scope. One might explore an alternative interpretation of the four types of men. For example, one might use the analysis of the grave men as meaning men who are close to death instead of serious men. “Do not go gentle into that good night,” suggests, though old age and death are unavoidable, one should strive to live in order to fully attain all one is capable of accomplishing, in order to die with worthiness and not with deep