Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night
By: Dylan Thomas
"Do not go gentle into that good night...Rage, rage against the dying of the light...(Page 969)." The powerful refrain used throughout Dylan Thomas's poem not only names the masterpiece, but also sets and establishes the theme of death. The contrasting yet similar phrases work together to create various meanings through the same words. Most importantly, the refrains present the vivid emotions and tone of the piece.
The two refrains which are alternated throughout the piece additionally alternate ideas. In the first phrase, positive words such as "gentle"and "good" are used to describe deaths simplicity and naturalness while the words "rage" and "dying" present the conflict experienced by the speaker. Through this contrast, a tone of desperate resistance against death is presented. The speaker is begging death to spare their father who is daunted by its power and pull. In the speakers plea to spare their father, the speaker correlates the darkness of night with that of the ending of life. Finally, the refrain gains further meaning as the poem progresses and the writer shifts from alternating between the two refrains to repeating the second more desperate section. Thus, the writer illustrates the gravity that progresses as death draws nearer and the seriousness of the fight to resist darkness.
The two refrains which are alternated throughout the piece additionally alternate ideas. In the first phrase, positive words such as "gentle"and "good" are used to describe deaths simplicity and naturalness while the words "rage" and "dying" present the conflict experienced by the speaker. Through this contrast, a tone of desperate resistance against death is presented. The speaker is begging death to spare their father who is daunted by its power and pull. In the speakers plea to spare their father, the speaker correlates the darkness of night with that of the ending of life. Finally, the refrain gains further meaning as the poem progresses and the writer shifts from alternating between the two refrains to repeating the second more desperate section. Thus, the writer illustrates the gravity that progresses as death draws nearer and the seriousness of the fight to resist darkness.
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