Do not go gentle into that good night Dylan Thomas 1914-1953 Dylan Thomas reads Do not go gentle into that good night What is the Night? Dylan Thomas wrote the poem when he learned his father was dying; the theme is the inevitability
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Presentation Transcript
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Do not go gentle
into that good night Dylan Thomas | 1914-1953<br>
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Dylan Thomas reads “Do not go gentle into that good night”<br>
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What is the “Night”? Dylan Thomas wrote the poem when he learned his father was dying;
the theme is the inevitability of death & not going down without a fight.
It is said his father was possibly also going blind at the time, a potential reference to “darkness.”
Sadly, Thomas himself passed away about 2 years after writing the poem about his father’s approaching death.<br>
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Form & Meter The villanelle: 19 lines divided into five three-line stanzas & a sixth stanza with four lines
Follows iambic pentameter
Rhyme scheme: ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA
Use of refrain & repetition<br>
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Poetic Terms Meter: the unit of rhythm in poetry
Iambic Pentameter: a common meter consisting of ten syllables per line
Refrain: a stanza or group of lines that is repeated throughout the poem<br>
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Symbols & Imagery Sunrise & Sunset
Light vs. Dark
“Falling”: Lightning, meteors, etc.<br>
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Themes Mortality: inevitability of death & the struggle against it
Transience: passing of time, beauty in the temporary
Wisdom: “wise men at their end know dark is right” (line 4)<br>
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Used as a recurring motif in the 2014 film Interstellar as a metaphor for venturing into the vast unknown, conflicted by the possibility of fear, failure, and death.<br>
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In 1959, musician Robert Zimmerman began introducing himself as “Bob Dylan” while performing on the folk music circuit. This was a nod to Dylan Thomas, whose poetry had influenced the songwriter, shaping his lyrical style & song choices.
A central theme in most of Thomas’ poetry is conflict: conflict between the content and the structure of the poem, conflict between the speaker and subject, etc. Ex: In “Do not go gentle into that good night,” the speaker is at odds with death. This theme of conflict can also be seen in the work of Bob Dylan, who many consider to be the greatest protest songwriter of all time. Dylan always seems to be at odds with something, whether it be racism in “Oxford Town” or war in “Masters of War.” Dylan’s poetry, just like Thomas’ poetry, is a poetry of conflict.
[source: pencils.com]<br>
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A Tale of Two Dylans Quiz: Bob Dylan or Dylan Thomas?<br>
