Do not go gentle into that good night

• Do not go gentle into that good night

  Euphemism for death, the speaker is saying the person who is dying should fight death rather than surrender to it
• Poem


  • Rhyme scheme is a villanelle - 19 lines total, stanzas 1-5 are tercets with an ABA rhyme scheme, final stanza is an ABBA rhyme scheme
  • Semi-autobiographical - Dylan Thomas's father was dying when the poem was written in 1952
• Poem


  • Rhyme scheme is a villanelle (19 lines total, stanzas 1-5 are tercets with an ABA rhyme scheme, final stanza is an ABBA rhyme scheme)
  • Semi-autobiographical, written when Dylan Thomas's father was dying in 1952
• Do not go gentle into that good night

  Euphemism for death, the speaker is saying the person who is dying should fight death rather than surrender to it
• In contrast to Part 1 which featured only non-fiction texts and Part 2 which is a mix of fiction short stories and poems
• Good night


  Euphemism for death, also what people say to each other before sleeping - influenced by Dylan Thomas's father reading him Shakespeare plays before bed
• Poem


  • Rhyme scheme is a villanelle (19 lines total, stanzas 1-5 are tercets with an ABA rhyme scheme, final stanza is an ABBA rhyme scheme)
  • Semi-autobiographical, written when Dylan Thomas's father was dying in 1952
• Old age


  Should burn and rave at close of day - death can't be avoided but should be challenged
• Old age should burn and rave at close of day


  Metaphor that death can't be avoided but should be challenged
• Old age should burn and rave at close of day


  Death can't be avoided but should be challenged
• Good night


  Euphemism for death, influenced by Shakespeare plays that Dylan Thomas's father used to read to him before bed
• Repetition of "rage, rage"


  Emphasizes that we should fight and rebel against death
• Rage, rage against the dying of the light


  Metaphor for fighting against death, the departure of the life force
• Old age should burn and rave at close of day


  Metaphor that death can't be avoided but should be challenged
• Repetition of "rage rage"


  Emphasizes that we should fight and rebel against death
• Dying of the light

  Metaphor for death, the departure of the life force
• Wise men


  Acceptance of death is a sign of wisdom, but we don't have to accept it passively
• Dying of the light

  Metaphor for death, the departure of the life force
• Rage, rage against the dying of the light


  Metaphor for death, the departure of the life force
• Good men, their frail deeds


  Metaphor for life's fragility, they could have accomplished more in life
• Wise men


  Acceptance of death is a sign of wisdom, but we don't have to accept it passively
• Wise men


  Acceptance of death is a sign of wisdom, but we don't have to accept it passively
• Good men, their frail deeds


  Metaphor for life's fragility, they could have accomplished more in life
• Caught and sang the sun in flight

  Sibilance emphasizes the fleeting moment of enjoying life before it ends
• Repetition of "do not go gentle into that good night"

  Speaker's way of stating the desire for life should be fierce even if we accept death as part of life
• Repetition of "do not go gentle into that good night"

  Speaker's way of stating the desire for life should be fierce even if we accept death as part of life
• Grave men, see with blinding sight


  Experience an epiphany about their mortality and what they should have done in life
• Grave men near death

  They experience an epiphany, realizing their lives could have been richer and more powerful
• Types of people dealing with death

  • Good men
  • Wild men
  • Grave men
• Good men, their frail deeds


  Metaphor for life's fragility - they could have done more in life and are now reflecting on this as they sink into death
• Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay


  Simile showing the epiphany the grave men experience
• Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay


  Simile showing the epiphany that their lives could have been richer and more powerful
• Repetition of "rage, rage"

  Important to face death with strength and power
• Good men's frail deeds might have danced in the green bay

  Metaphor for life's fragility, they feel regretful of not accomplishing more in life
• Dylan Thomas: 'Curse bless me now with your fierce tears I pray'
• Curse bless me now with your fierce tears

  Oxymoron showing the speaker's conflicting feelings towards their father's impending death
• Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight

  Fleeting moment of singing and enjoying life before it ends
• Repetition of "rage rage"

  Important to face death with strength and power
• Dylan Thomas addressing his father


  Conflicting feelings towards his father's impending death, both a blessing and a curse
• Dylan Thomas died a year after writing this poem, perhaps foreshadowing his own death