Explication

Jeremy Flores

Explication/Do Not Go Gentle Into The Goodnight,

By Dylan Thomas

“Go gentle into the Good Night” was written by Dylan Thomas(1914-1953) in 1947.  It was published a little later in 1951, and still today is considered one of Dylan’s most popular poems.  

I feel that this poem is talking about death.  But not just dying. I feel as if he is giving strength to dying people to keep strong and to fight till death.  The title alone suggests that he is erging dying people to merly fight while they suffer the undeniable death. The first stanza talks about old age.  He suggests here that someone with old age should be proud, like a crown of honor. Everyone knows that the older they get the closer to death they are.  As their bodies deteriorate their muscles become sore and their bones brittle. But Thomas wants people to live what life they have left here on earth with honor and dignity.  I realize that the poem is about death, but i also want to see that Thomas wants people to also see life. Even though death can not be avoided, he wants the dying reader to not give up easily.  He says “Rage against the dying light”. Suggesting that they should fight and instead of just walking into the darkness which represents death as the light represents fighting and living hope.

In the second stanza he says that wise men know that the time of death is near.  But yet they still fight the invaluable. It seems the first stanza sets the tone for the poem.  These next four are mere examples of how people suffer while dying. Yet each time he wants to encourage the reader to refuse dying easy or gentle.  The last stanza seems to be more personal. Thomas discusses his father as the dying person. This makes me think that the whole attitude and mindset of this piece comes from watching his father pass away.  

The third stanza is another example of who the reader may be.  As he suggests that even good men die. Thomas says”crying so bright”.  I think he is saying that people mourn more when good men die. So again he is suggesting that they should fight for life and continue their good deeds.

Za seems to speak to the opposite type people.  Instead of the good people , thomas also uses the bad people or “wild men”.  He Suggests here that they too should not give up their life easy. But not just for the point of dying, but for a chance to revive their lives here on earth.  He says now they know, and even if it may be too late, if they live they can fix the aggrieved persons in whom they had affected during their wildlife.

The next stanza connects Thomas’s last two stanzas.  As he is still appealing to examples of dying people.  This stanza seems to be describing men near death. Who might have gave up on living, They can be blinded by the inevitable death.  But Thomas still has hope for these people. As their eyes can be light before the darkness, and still can fight to live. They can still have a chance to live and happy, gay, prosperous life.  

The last stanza becomes more personal to the writer.  As he is discussing his father. He allows his emotions to be heard.  He transforms between the death being a curse. But he also wants to be blessed by force tears as his father fights for life.  Thomas shows his religious and spiritual beliefs here as he says he will “pray”. He prays that his father will not go gentle (easy) into the good night (Darkness, death).  He wants every dying person to “Rage”, and fight the dying like of darkness.