Dylan Thomas, Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night
Dylan Thomas
Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night (Literature To Go, p. 496)
Listen to “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night,” read by Dylan Thomas.
From Dylan Thomas Reading His Poetry (AUDIO) by Dylan Thomas. Copyright (P) & © 1964 and 1991 by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
Considerations for Critical Thinking and Writing
first response. How does Thomas vary the meanings of the poem’s two refrains: “Do not go gentle into that good night” and “Rage, rage against the dying of the light”?
Thomas’s father was close to death when this poem was written. How does the tone contribute to the poem’s theme?
How is “good” used in line 1?
Characterize the men who are “wise” (line 4), “Good” (7), “Wild” (10), and “Grave” (13).
What do figures of speech contribute to this poem?
Discuss this villanelle’s sound effects.