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  • Essay / The theme of death in "Don't Go Gentle..." by Dylan Thomas

    Death is often a sensitive subject; after all, most people associate death with the loss of someone who was particularly important or loved. In “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas, a powerful message is delivered to those who are close to death. Thomas asks them to continue to fight against their illnesses and not to accept that death will be upon them. Using symbolism as well as strong language, the message of fighting death is conveyed to all types of dying men, including Thomas' father, throughout the poem. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Thomas wastes no time trying to convey his message and begins the poem by evoking powerful emotions and creating a feeling of 'emergency. Words such as “burn,” “rave,” and “rage” in the first stanza provoke feelings of anger and despair that set the tone of the poem from the beginning. Thomas does not want his audience to take his message lightly. In the second and third lines, death is called "the end of the day" and the "death of light." These phrases are synonymous with sunset and connect life to a single day. Although a life can be long, a single day is far too short. Thomas feels that life is too short and believes that everyone should fight as long as possible to prolong it. For the rest of the poem, Thomas uses each stanza to relate to a different group of men and attempts to show why. everyone should fight to delay its inevitable end. In the second stanza, we address the wise. Even though they know that death cannot be avoided, they do not accept it. He states that “because their words did not cause lightning,” they resist death. Thomas believes that these wise men are capable of great things, but because life is so short, they have little to no impact. In the third stanza, the focus is on good men. Thomas states "Good men, the last wave has passed, shouting how brilliant it is / Their fragile actions could have danced in a green bay", where he compares life to the sea, good men to waves and good deeds to the dancing waves. In this case, death occurs when the waves reach the shore and can no longer dance in the ocean. Good men, like wise men, lived too short to accomplish anything worthwhile. In the fourth stanza, wild men, or rather those who celebrated the world and its beauty, are addressed. Thomas states, “And learn, too late, they grieved him on the way,” in which he explains how men miss the day as the sun begins to set, again linking death to a short day. These wild men who once celebrated the world soon begin to realize that they fear the end. In the fifth stanza, serious men are confronted. Thomas states: "Serious men, near death, who see with blinding sight / Blind eyes could shine like meteors and be gay, / Rage, rage against the dying of the light", where he addresses the sick men. Although grave men are blind or sick, Thomas still expects them to fight death with whatever strength they have left, because he believes there are still reasons to live. More powerful words such as “blinding,” “fire,” and “rage” are used to elicit more powerful feelings of despair. In the final stanza, Thomas addresses his own father, revealing the motive behind the poem. The "sad height" he speaks of refers to the fact that his father was on.