Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Writing a Compare and Contrast Essay

Better Essays
1143 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Writing a Compare and Contrast Essay
Sample Poetry Analysis Essay: Dylan Thomas- "Do Not Go Gently into That Good Night"
Analyzing Dylan Thomas 's Promise: To Rage Against the Dying of the Light "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night", by Dylan Thomas is a plea from a dying man 's son to steel his reserve and fight against imminent death. Thomas begins by presenting the example of wise men that fight their impending death valiantly, despite knowing that defeat is inevitable. Good men also "rage against the dying of the light" (Thomas 9); a suggestion that Thomas hopes that his father will take to heart. Wild men war against their impending doom in an attempt to prolong their doomed existence, and grave men who stand on the threshold of oblivion still do not accept death with complacency. Dylan 's plea extends so far as to encourage his father to, "curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray"( Thomas 17), making it obvious that Thomas is unconcerned with what his father chooses to fight for or against, as long as he makes a stand for something before he is extinguished. Dylan Thomas implements repetitive metaphors and strict form to underline the case he makes to his father; the gift of life should be passionate and valiant up to its last fleeting seconds. Dylan Thomas 's poetic form and usage of metaphors create a representation of all the men that he desires his father to emulate. Thomas begins by invoking the wise men who, "Because their words had forked no lightening they/ Do not go gentle into that good night"(Thomas 4-5). The wise men Thomas speaks of refuse to resign to their fates as dead men because they have not yet accomplished what they set out to do. Thomas 's "lightening" is a representative metaphor of the goals set forth by the strong that serve as motivation to continue living robustly. By idolizing these wise men, Thomas implicates that he desires his father to emulate them; to press on toward anything that may at least give him some purpose besides waiting complacently for death to lower its scythe upon him. Thomas 's use of other men as examples of a desired state for his father is repeated through each stanza of the poem. In Thomas 's third stanza, he invokes the merits of "Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright/Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay"( Thomas 7-8). These "good men" strive endlessly to make their mark on the world, unsatisfied with their subjectively "frail" deeds until finally death catches up with them. These men "rage against the dying of the light" (Thomas 9) because they have not yet met their goals, much like the wise men proceeding them. This passion for improvement and strength to persevere are exactly the qualities that Dylan Thomas begs his father to put forth, for Dylan 's own sake as much as his father 's. Thomas 's next template for his father 's state lies in the merits of, "Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight/And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way" (Thomas 10-11). Dylan desires his father to step forth and be optimistic, while ignoring the grief that besets men all through their existence. "Grieving it on its way" is a metaphor representing the pain and struggle endured by the men as they live their lives, which proves unimportant due to its discovery too late in life for it to be detrimental. Similar to the previous stanzas, these wild men serve as a representation of the behavior that Thomas beseeches his father to follow. The next stanza continues with the motif of valiant men. Wild men, in Thomas 's estimation, "do not go gentle into that good night" (Thomas 12) because they love life so passionately. To have, "caught and sang the sun in flight/And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way" (Thomas 10-11) employs the metaphor of the sun 's path as the journey of life, demonstrating that the wild men live fully and pay little attention to life 's sad moments as they pass through them.
Thomas concludes his repetitive demonstration of ideals with those who knock on death 's door. Grave men according to Thomas, even through their final moments, can "blaze like meteors and be gay" (Thomas 14). Thomas imparts this final simile to represent the happiness that the men look back on in their final moments of life, preventing them from feeling the despair and worthlessness that Thomas wants his father to steer away from. Thomas concludes his poem with a final plea for his father to "Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray" (Thomas 17). He cares not how his father display passion; he would sooner be hated by his beloved father then watch him die so far away from his past grandeur. "[F]ierce tears" serve as yet another metaphor for the indomitable character that Dylan wishes for his father to present. He concludes with a final request: "Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light" (Thomas 18-19). These final two metaphors link his desire for his father 's behavior with the men Thomas described throughout the poem. Dylan Thomas wrote, "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" as a plea for his father to show the strength that he did in years past. Each man Thomas describes within his poem serves as a character reference for the type of man Thomas needs his father to be in his last days. Thomas first describes the virtues of wise men, who refuse to capitulate to death before they accomplish their lofty goals. Good men are next brought forth as a template for his father 's behavior, who fight against death because they are unsatisfied with the marginal weight of their deeds in the world. Wild men extol virtues desired for Dylan 's father as well, for they live life to the fullest capacity and refuse to succumb to the sadness that pervades human existence. As the final example and perhaps the most applicable, grave men, according to Thomas, spend their last moments on earth reminiscing about the happy moments of their past instead of sinking into a depressed stupor. The final stanza of Thomas 's poem links all of these men 's behaviors together and implores Thomas 's father once more to stand up and fight against the darkness that will inevitably consume him. Through this tightly structured form and beautiful metaphors applied to each type of man as well as the father, Thomas makes his case known; he needs his father to be strong in his last days, not only for his own sake, but for Thomas 's as well.

Works Cited
Thomas, Dillon. "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night." Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice, 2007. 642.

Cited: Thomas, Dillon. "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night." Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice, 2007. 642.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Fahrenheit 451 Themes

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the poem he continually discusses that death is rage, a curse, etc. These inevitable fears are first introduced in the first stanza when he states, “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.” This first stanza opens with saying one should not give into death, and when it comes, it should come with a full life. These ideas are featured once again in the last stanza. The author reveals the true purpose about the poem in this stanza, stating, “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.” In this stanza he is saying that he believes his father should fight, and that he does not care what his father has to do to fight. Giving up the fight is like being a lawn mower in a field of gardeners, in the end those who fight have a greater…

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The words “Do not go gentle into that good night” are an imperative command, “Going gentle” refers to giving up and passively accepting death, and “that good night,” refers to death itself, it is also a metaphor and a pun . It is important to note that Thomas refers to death (night) as “good.” As he will expand upon later in the poem, Thomas recognizes it is not death itself that should be fought, but death that comes unfairly and too early. The second line is the only line in this stanza that will be repeated only once in this poem:…

    • 957 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The poets Dylan Thomas and Alfred, Lord Tennyson both have well known poems about death, Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night and The Charge of the Light Brigade. Although both poems are beautifully written, the two poets describe death very differently with figurative language. Dylan Thomas describes death more as a fight between the darkness of death and the light of life, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson describes death as something that just happens and that it is unavoidable. Dylan Thomas shows the fight between light and dark when he says,”Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light”(Lines 18-19). He is telling his dying father here to fight against “the dying of the light” or to fight the death overcoming…

    • 223 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Dylan Thomas’s poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into The Night” is written in Iambic Pentameter, as with most villanelles. He begins the poem with the lines “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.” (12.) Although it is unclear whom he is talking about, it is clear he is talking about the afterlife and opposing the final moments of death. He then continues with the lines “Though…

    • 1582 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dylan Thomas’ poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” is an appeal by a son to his dying father. The son wants his father to fight against death arguing that even on our death beds, “old age should burn and rage at the close of day”.(line 2) The main character in W.D. Valgardson’s short story “God is Not a Fish Inspector” does not share this perspective on life and death.…

    • 454 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The character Don Anselmo, from “The Gentlemen of Rio en Medio,” is a lot alike the character Mrs. Higgins, from “All the Years of Her Life.” But first let’s look at their differences.…

    • 424 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Although they are two totally different battles, the Normandy Landings and the Battle of Gettysburg have many similarities and differences. The Normandy Landings are also referred to what most people recognize today as D-Day. It took place on June 6, 1944 and was an allied invasion on the coast of Normandy. The Battle of Gettysburg took place a little over eighty years before D-Day. It was a significant battle during the Civil War. The battle was fought July 1-3, 1863 in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.…

    • 995 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The movie, The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller in 1952. It is about Salem witch trials that happened near the Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play because of McCarthyism. Before the court trials anyone, he had a lot of hearings before they chose who is guilty of witchcraft. When the court found out who was guilty, they would be hung between February 1692 and May 1693. Even though The Crucible is based on the Salem witch trials, the play and the movie are different in some ways like the relationship between John Proctor and Abigail Williams, and the towns’ reaction to the Putnam’s.…

    • 545 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The story “Miss Brill” by Katherine Mansfield is about a woman who enjoys going into the park nearby her house and watches the people and surroundings; she imagines putting them into one big play. While another story, “The Yellow Wallpaper” is about a woman who can’t seem to get a hold of herself after finding out she has some sort of illness that forces her to take medicine every hour of the day. The two have some differences and some things in common.…

    • 424 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    One day a LA Times journalist named Steve Lopez was looking for a story. He ends up going to the park, where he finds this homeless man playing on his violin and it sounding remarkable. He starts talking to him and wants to do a story on this homeless man, named Nathaniel Ayers. In the movie “The Soloist,” as Steve starts finding more about Nathaniel, and Nathaniel finds out more about Steve, they unexpectedly become friends. Nathaniel helps out Steve by giving topics to write about and Steve helps Nathaniel by putting him back on the right path. Steve and Nathaniel are similar and different in so many ways. Some ways are passion, lifestyle, and loyalty.…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Both of the poems, “ To an Athlete dying young” and “ Do not go gentle into the night” are referring to the subject of death but show different outlooks and seem to explore the helplessness with growing old and the progress towards death. Although the poems are against death each have a different way of how it should be approached. Both poems show views on how people should deal with death while one sees death as a misfortune, the other sees death as a battle with an enemy that needs to be defeated. “To an Athlete dying young” A.E Housman shows that those dying at the rise of their glory or youth are lucky. Everyone fears death at some point in life. As people grow older they realize that their life was short lived. Both Housman's and Thomas' poems are about death. Also each poem describes death as opponent. Both poems reflect their authors' life experience. Thomas uses irony, villanelle form and symbolism, while Housman uses the elements of irony, multiple meanings and rhythmic tone. An example of irony in To an Athlete Dying Young is the way death is viewed. Usually death is never viewed as a joyous or uplifting event, but here death is proven to be an advantage, as it helps the young athlete make his glory permanent. "Do Not Go Gentle into The Night", by Dylan Thomas is a cry from a dying man's son to arm his reserve and fight against death. Thomas begins by presenting the example of wise men that fight their death valorously, despite knowing that defeat is fateful. Good men also "rage against the dying of the light" is a suggestion that Thomas hopes that his father will take to battle against death. Each man Thomas describes in his poem serves as a character for the type of man Thomas needs his father to be on his death bed. Thomas describes the goods of wise men, who refuse to surrender to death before they accomplish their goals. Good men are next brought up as a example for his father's…

    • 782 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dylan Thomas wrote "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" in 1951 in response to emotions he was feeling about his dying father. Thomas uses villanelle, tone, alliteration, and conceit to craft a masterful work, that gradually progresses encompassing the emotion and rage he is feeling, while maintaining control through diction and form.…

    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Compare and Contrast Essay

    • 1119 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Emerson and Thoreau share similar views on life. They share similar views on life like thinking that it should be taken with simple steps and with ease, living life the way you want to, and appreciating the little values that come along with it. Thoreau states that life should be simple and that “being in the now” is taking over. Everyday advances in the world are starting to choose how we live for us, instead of living our lives ourselves. Emerson says that appreciating small things, appreciating yourself, and appreciating others around you is life. These are the points stated by Emerson and Thoreau on how life should be for everyone.…

    • 1119 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Compare and Contrast Essay

    • 1080 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The NFL draft has discovered many unique NFL quarterbacks since 1936. That is 76 years of teams picking their franchise quarterbacks. Many quarterbacks have been drafted, some are a “bust” and some are record-breaking hall of famers. Teams take a risk every year to find their franchise player to take them to the next level. Throughout the past 76 years no two hall of fame quarterbacks compare and are so much alike than Tom Brady and Joe Montana. Tom Brady and Joe Montana have mastered their craft of becoming a starting NFL quarterback in two different eras, from record-breaking performances to upsetting defeats.…

    • 1080 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the stories, “The Lie,” by Kurt Vonnegut and “Barn Burning,” by William Faulkner, the main characters mature from childhood into adulthood. This maturity either develops from support of one’s family and upbringing or it grows internally from one’s conscience. We see from both stories that the main characters use this maturity to courageously speak up.…

    • 637 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays