Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night (Dylan Thomas)

Thomas uses not only end-line rhymes, but also internal rhymes, and even repetition of syllables to both lull the reader with an almost lullaby-like rhythm, at the same time that he is delivering both a disturbing and inspiring message about the crossroads of life and death.

The first three lines establish the pattern for the whole poem: "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" (Kennedy 872). "Night" and "light" are not unexpected rhymes, but in this profound context the meaning of that rhyme is heightened. "Night" is often used as a symbol of death, and "light" as a symbol for life, or consciousness, but again, in the context of his message, Thomas has put fresh power into these old rhymes.

It is important to note also that the rhymes do not stand alone. It is not "night" which the poet urges the dying man to rage against, but rather "the dying of the light," the end of life in this world as we know it. He is not suggesting that we should be terrified of death, for he calls it "that good night," suggesting either an end to our troubles, or some transcendent peace or bliss which is "good."

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Some common words found in the essay are:
Gentle Night, Robert Frost's, rhyme repetition, Dylan Thomas's, Gioia Literature, life death, York Longman, dying light, night light, rage dying light, pattern poem, end-line rhymes, rage life, subject matter, rhymes repetition, death calls,
Approximate Word count = 1156
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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