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Dylan Thomas wrote this poem to encourage his father to fight illness and death, and not to give in. He
lists several examples of how people could and should struggle against death.
Notice how each stanza ends either with "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" or "Do not
go gentle into that good night".
The final stanza contains both exhortations. This repetition perhaps shows the poet's disappointment that
his father appears to be accepting death.
ABOUT THE POET
Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea -- Wales -- in October 1914. His father was a schoolmaster, his
mother a seamstress.
The poet spent much of his youth in Swansea where he often visited his aunt's dairy farm. It was these
visits which inspired much of his poetry. "Fern Hill" records memories of those happy days.
Thomas was always a sickly child who tended to keep to himself. He was educated initially at a private
school which he referred to as Mrs. Hole's "Dame School". Later he would attend the Swansea Grammar
School where he published his first poem in the school's magazine.
He loved literature but ignored most of his other subjects, eventually dropping out of school at 16,
thereupon becoming a reporter for a local newspaper. Later he would continue to work as a freelance
journalist.
Most of his poems and short stories were written at his home at Cwmdonkin in Wales.
When World War II erupted, Thomas was essentially not fit to fight. Instead he worked for the Ministry
of Information, producing propaganda movies. It was during this time, however, that he began to drink
heavily.
He would later become famous for his poetry readings where his Welsh accent captivated audiences.
He was particularly involved with the BBC and is now most remembered for his play-for-voices called
Under Milk Wood.
Like Under Milk Wood, his poetry was renowned for its play on sounds and words, and for its
quaint imagery and word order.
Thomas married a dancer, Caitlin MacNamara, and maintained a stormy relationship with her, where
rumours of affairs on both sides were rife. They would have three children.
He would die in New York in November 1953 from an overindulgence in alcohol . He was then just 39
years of age.
Have you looked at the questions in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer the following questions:
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
- What does the poet mean by "good night"? What language device is being
used? (4)
[Need help?]
This is an example of euphemism!
Euphemism is the use of a word with a soft connotation to describe a harsh reality: "He has passed
into the hands of the Lord" which means that he has died! Or "She is late" which means she
is dead!
"Do not go into that good night" is a euphemism for "Do not die!"
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- Why should "Old age . . . burn and rave at close of day"? (2)
[Need help?]
The poet believes that, even though one might be old and close to death, one should nevertheless
struggle to postpone the moment of death for as long as possible.
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- When the poet repeats the words "rage, rage", what is he telling his father? (2)
[Need help?]
The poet believes that one should struggle against death and attempt to live just that little bit longer.
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Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
- In what way would wise men "know dark is right"? (2)
[Need help?]
If one is wise, one knows that death is inevitable. Death eventually overtakes all creatures, which is why
we are said to be mortal.
Despite this, however, the poet believes that even the wise will attempt at least to postpone that moment
of death for as long as possible.
"Dark" is a euphemism for death, right?
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- "Because their words had forked no lightning" means:
A. their words were electric;
B. their words had achieved no major effect in anybody's life;
C. their writings were often discussed over a good meal;
D. wise men are often killed by lightning. (2)
[Need help?]
That's right! It means that their words had achieved no major effect in anybody's life.
It's amazing how intelligent people become almost paranoid about the fact that their lives have not had
an amazing impact in the world. We would all like to know that our words and actions have really mattered.
Usually, however, this is not so. Our passing will only be noticed by the very few.
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Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
- Explain in your own words what "good men" are sorry about. (2)
[Need help?]
Good men, like the wise, would like to have done more in this world -- in their case, to have done more
to alleviate the plight of the helpless.
I'm sure that even Mother Theresa of Calcutta would have liked to have had just a few more years of
active service!
We always feel that, no matter how hard we have striven, perhaps we could have striven just that little bit
more.
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Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
- Why should the wild man both catch and sing the sun in flight, and then grieve it? (2)
[Need help?]
Wild men tend to live debauched lives in their youth. As they grow older and become mature, however,
many begin to realise the folly of their ways and to wish they could have achieved more with their lives.
We are looking here at the metaphor of life being compared to just a single day. We are born at sunrise
and die at sunset. The progress of the sun marks the progress of this day which is our life.
As young people, we sing the sun in its flight -- in other words, we sing and make merry as the young
sun rises towards noon.
As the sun nears sunset -- i.e. we draw near to death -- we realise our folly. But, alas, we can't put the
sun back to an earlier part of the day. It is still about to set despite our misspent youth.
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Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
- The expression "Grave men, near death" is a wonderful play on words. Explain
why. (4)
[Need help?]
In Romeo and Juliet, when the playful Mercutio is stabbed and lies dying in Romeo's arms, he tells his
cousin, "Tomorrow you will find me a grave man!"
Mercutio means, of course, that tomorrow he will be serious for once in his life but only because he will
be dead and in the grave.
We have the same pun here. "Grave men" are serious men. At the same time, if they are "near
death" then they are also grave men -- i.e. men who are about to be buried in their graves.
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And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
- What does the poet mean when he speaks of his father as being "there on the sad
height"? (2)
[Need help?]
The poet's father is on the sad height of willingly surrendering himself to death without a struggle. The
poet appeals to his father to struggle against death and not give in.
The "height" may be a metaphor for the dead body which has been placed at the top of a funeral
pyre and is about to be set alight. Remember the funeral pyre in Lord of the Rings which the
Steward of Gondor had readied for himself and his son?
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- Explain the apparent contradiction in the words "curse, bless, me". What is such an apparent
contradiction called? (4)
[Need help?]
The poet knows that his words to his father could be interpreted in two ways: his father might curse him
for putting pressure on him; at the same time, he might bless his son for telling the truth.
The poet has no objection to his father's reacting either way as long as it causes his father to struggle
against death.
This apparent contradiction is called a paradox.
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What is the poet's overall advice to his father? (2)
[Need help?]
The poet wants his father to struggle against death and not just give into it easily. He wants his father to
struggle to prolong his life for as long as possible.
The irony is that the poet simply gave his own life away at a relatively early age in an alcoholic binge.
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