Author: jeremyflores3413

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.

Explication, “The White Man’s Burden” By Rudyard Kipling

Explication:  The White Man’s Burden  by Rudyard Kipling

Take up the White Man’s burden —

Send forth the best ye breed —

Go bind your sons to exile

To serve your captives’ need;

To wait in heavy harness,

On fluttered folk and wild —

Your new-caught, sullen peoples,

Half-devil and half-child.

Take up the White Man’s burden —

In patience to abide,

To veil the threat of terror

And check the show of pride;

By open speech and simple,

An hundred times made plain

To seek another’s profit,

And work another’s gain.

Take up the White Man’s burden —

The savage wars of peace —

Fill full the mouth of Famine

And bid the sickness cease;

And when your goal is nearest

The end for others sought,

Watch sloth and heathen Folly

Bring all your hopes to nought.

Take up the White Man’s burden —

No tawdry rule of kings,

But toil of serf and sweeper —

The tale of common things.

The ports ye shall not enter,

The roads ye shall not tread,

Go make them with your living,

And mark them with your dead.

Take up the White Man’s burden —

And reap his old reward:

The blame of those ye better,

The hate of those ye guard —

The cry of hosts ye humour

(Ah, slowly!) toward the light: —

“Why brought he us from bondage,

Our loved Egyptian night?”

Take up the White Man’s burden —

Ye dare not stoop to less —

Nor call too loud on Freedom

To cloak your weariness;

By all ye cry or whisper,

By all ye leave or do,

The silent, sullen peoples

Shall weigh your gods and you.

Take up the White Man’s burden —

Have done with childish days —

The lightly proffered laurel,

The easy, ungrudged praise.

Comes now, to search your manhood

Through all the thankless years

Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom,

The judgment of your peers!

This poem was written during the Philippine and America War which lasted between 1899 and 1902.  The author Rudyard Kipling thought of this war as Imperialism and believed that it was a action of racism.  In which the Americans was trying to gain control over the filipino people and their country. “Imperialism is a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force. ”(Wikipedia) From reading his poem, I got the notion that he was not blaming the white Americans.  He knew that they too was under the control by their government. Hince, why it became a white man’s burden to fight a war they did not want or have to fight.  The first stanza. He says a white man’s burden is sending the best or breed, (the best fit soldiers). Sending even our sons to fight and die to serve your captives need, (serve our countries need)  I think he is agreeing that this is a great move for our Country at the time. This is why he was known as an imperialist type believer. In my opinion Kipling thinks of this as America using our power and strength to take over the Philippians but in doing so it also places them under our wing.  Like big brothers or as protectors of sort.

In the second stanza he is talking about the American military as powerful as they were.  To place fear and terror on the filipinos as we open relationships and connections. We take pride in our victory.  Yet we white lives do all the work as the government takes the profits and gains. He then goes on to say “Savage wars and peace.”  As if Americans are using this war and power with the hopes of peace in the future. As the philippine economy crashes, sickness and famine sweep the country.  Then is when we know the time is near for them to bow to American’s demands.

Kipling continue these thoughts.  Americans block the roads and ports to make it hard for their country to live.  While doing this task many soldiers and innocents probably died on these streets as they tried to retaliate or push through.  Why he said “mark them with the dead”.

In the next stanza his meaning kind of seems blurred.  The white man burden and reward is the sweet smell of victory and honor.  To be in war you must have friends and enemies. The ones that is hated and the ones that they host.  But now that the war is finalized. The Americans and Filipinos can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  The phillipians can feel better as they gain assurance that the war will better both sides in the end. So the filipinos started to see us as the white knights in shining armour.  

This next stanza kind of collides.  The Phillipians are still praising the Americans, but they are also holding judgments on the beliefs and values of the Gods that Americans serve.  The filipino people knows that there is still a lot of hard work ahead and they encourage the white people to push through.

The final two stanzas are talking about the war being over.  That the Americans had a tough battle and now is over. It is time to be praised, and to stand with their heads high.  Knowing that they will have to explain the loss of lives and war time set backs to their peers.