Don't go gentle into that good night

Do not go gentle into that good night is a didactic poem with the usage of Apostrophe written by Dylan Thomas addressed to his father. It is a peculiar piece of literary work since here we see a son advising his father on one of the most fragile and eerie topic death. The entire poetry revolves around this theme of death but in a very extra-ordinary way. In colloquial connotation death would imply religious or spiritual aspect - life after death or simply a doleful experience of mourning. But here in the poem the poet is asking us to fight death - that which not a single living being has ever been able to conquer!

Touching upon the title, we find that the word 'Gentle' doesn't fit in there grammatically. It should have been gently but the very fact that the word gentle has been used is to herald the nature of the person being addressed to in the poem. It is a noted fact that people in their sun-set years become fickle minded, feeble, and vulnerable victims of the external situations and the greatest of all they turn peevish. All this description illustrates but one word - 'gentle'. The word go is of immense import. Death takes an upper hand in dictating the lives of people but in spite of that the poet asks us to make an honorable retreat from this little fair of 'jubilations and sprouts of ecstasies'' instead of being dragged and pulled away by death. Thus it suites the tone of the poem - 'fury' as we are told to take sole charge of our lives before death. Night is the symbolism of death and 'good' may be considered as sarcasm.

The various stanzas of the poem using various examples suggests and emphasize on a single point - Live, rejoice and celebrate to the fullest. The following lines repeat alternatingly as they are the punch lines:

"Rage Rage against the dying of the light." and

"Do not go gentle into that good night."

The first stanza talks about living passionately the life we've got before it's too late and are on our death bed, full of repentance and remorse. Here old age is compared to a luminous candle that burns to emanate its radiance while it itself gets consumed and extinguishes at the last.

The second stanza refers to 'the wise men'. They are termed as wise although they couldn't bring about a radical transformation in the world around or leave an indelible mark - because they realized the importance of exploring and savoring life. Even these people don't accept death as it comes by. Here 'fork' and 'lightening' serve as good imagery to tinkle are senses. They resemble power, authority, yearning and infallible zeal nourished by unflinching efforts.

Good men in the 3rd stanza are the ones who have been virtuous, caring, loving and helping throughout their life. Even these people according to the poet do not quit as they realize late in the hour that the superfluous grumbling and cribbing in their life was the only deterrent to the path of success. They feel that if they had got another chance or a little more time they would have done wonders. Here too the 'Frail deeds' hint at the 'inconsequential' work of a lifetime. Their life is compared to the last of the wave of the ocean that bangs upon the yellow shingle; dissipating the last quantum of its strength that it bears. The 'green bay' signifies throbbing life and prosperity while 'yellow' signifies era of downfall.

The 4^th stanza encompasses the grief of 'wild men' - men who were able to succeed and reap the finest corn in their lifetime. They were happy, celebrating and cherishing every moment of their life to the fullest. In contrast to others they waded their way through all odds and snatched the golden cup! But even these men who had it all are capricious and mourn the lack of time before their death. They too have got the insatiable appetite of burning enthusiasm which keeps them turned on the very end.

The 5th stanza is dedicated to the serious people just approaching death. Even these people try to peer hard despite their exponentially weakening eyesight. Eyesight here is allusion to all of the sensual apparatus that weaken as the ages roll by and along with it the proliferation of the lust to live and enjoy more sets in. The 'meteors' give us an image of burning, bright showers of light alight our sensations and charm us, suggesting vitality and vigor.

The last stanza clarifies to us that the whole of this poem was addressed to the poet's father. Here we see the usage of an Oxymoron - curse, bless - used wittingly to express the emotions of his father at the halt of the conversation. Here the poet leaves us contemplating the theme of the poem - fighting to the end, pushing beyond all the limitations and living to the maximum. The final decision to choose a meager, mediocre life or a life full of benedictions and euphoria is however left upon us!

Thus traversing through the entire poem the various example, metaphors and imagery, support the one and only theme - life. The poet instills us to perform, accomplish something great before it's too late and death knocks at our door. One must do all that one feels like doing at the whim of the hour, only than one is deemed to have been ready for death. Simply losing all hope and becoming pessimistic, cynical and a bear-faced self-masochist won't help! The suicidal instinct tis always detrimental to our progress and that of the society we live in.