Reading Response
“Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”
By Dylan Thomas.
“Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”, by Dylan Thomas, is a powerful poem that demonstrates how man fights against death. The poem shows how different types of men approach death in different ways, and explains how man should resist death under any circumstance. Although death is never an option, the poem still shows how different types of man will rage against it differently. For example, “Rage, rage against the dying of the light”, indicates how death should always be fought against. The writers purpose is to convey the message that although death may be certain, it should be raged against under any circumstance. The intended audience of this piece is, unfortunately, everyone, considering we will all be forced to face death at one point or another, throughout our lifetime.
This poem can be related globally in many ways. Around the world, just under 300,000 people die each day, with a large percentage who rage against it. Although people may be terminal and on their last stage of life, they still attempt to fight against death and get as much out of life as they can, which is encouraged. This poem can also be related to myself, because people close to me are terminal, however, they are still trying to rage against death.
Throughout this work, Thomas incorporates several literary techniques, such as symbolism and rhythm. For example, the title of the poem, “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”, symbolizes the general theme of the piece, how man shouldn’t die gently, but, instead, should fight against it. Rhythm is also used in the poem by making the first and third lines of each stanza rhyme, and having the second line ending with -ay. These techniques help the reader reach a deeper understanding of the work because they bring life to the work and have underlying meanings as well.
“Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”, by Dylan Thomas, can be related to many literary...