in do not go gentle into that good night

The use of the word “good” initially seems odd, however, although it may seem like the speaker rejects the idea of death itself, this is not entirely the case. Presumably the speaker does not, given their desperation for their father to avoid it.

In this poem “night” is synonymous with “death” thus, the phrase “good night” can also be considered an oxymoron if one does not consider death good. “Blinding sight” is an oxymoron, which implies that although with age most men lose their sight, they are wiser and enlightened, and have a greater understanding of the world. In the fifth stanza, Thomas describes men near death “who see with blinding sight” (Thomas 13). The line “my father, there on the sad height” (Thomas 16) confirms that this poem is directed to the speaker’s father, the idea presented in these lines is what Thomas wants his father to recognize above all else. This structural choice is a result of the villanelle form, but we can interpret it to highlight the predictability of life itself, and signifies the undeniable and unavoidable fact that everyone must face death at the end of one’s life.

“Dying of the light” and “good night” are direct metaphors for death, and with the exception of the first line of the poem, they only appear at the end of a stanza. These lines add even more significance due to their placement in the poem. The first line showcases a bit of alliteration of n sounds at the beginning of “not” and “night,” as well as alliteration of hard g sounds in the words “go” and “good.” These lines are vital to the poem as they reiterate its central meaning, making it far from subtle and extremely hard to miss. This repetition gives the reader a sense of panic and desperation as the speaker pleads with their father to stay.

As a result of the poem’s villanelle structure, both lines “Do not go gentle into that good night” and “Rage, rage against the dying of the light” (Thomas) are repeated often. The first thing that one may notice while reading Thomas’s piece is that there are key phrases repeated throughout the poem.

The poem “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” depicts the grief and panic one feels when a loved is approaching the end of their life, while presenting a question is it right to surrender to death, or should it be resisted? In this poem Dylan Thomas opposes the idea of a peaceful passing, and uses various literary devices such as repetition, metaphor, and imagery to argue that death should be resisted at all costs. Model Text: “To Suffer or Surrender? An Analysis of Dylan Thomas’s ‘Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night’” To Suffer or Surrender? An Analysis of Dylan Thomas’s “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” ĭeath is a part of life that everyone must face at one point or another.

In do not go gentle into that good night