Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night Group

Question:

sheileecoleman2009
sheileecolem...
Student
High School - 12th Grade

In "Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night", what feelings does the poet reveal about his father's dealth?

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Posted by sheileecoleman2009 on Monday December 15, 2008 at 7:53 AM and tagged with do not go gentle into that good night, dylan thomas, father, feelings.

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  1. mrs-campbell Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The last stanza indicates that he wants his father, who is dying, to not go without a fight, without clinging fiercely to life until the very end.  He asked his father to "Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray."  This indicates he wants his father there, lucid, blessing and cursing him "fiercely" until the very end.  He wants his father to be similarly intense with death, to "rage, rage" against it. 

    From these lines we can infer that he cared deeply about his father.  First of all, he felt strongly enough about his father to write a poem about his struggle against death.  Secondly, he respected his father and wanted him to have a proud, fighting end.  Thirdly, he mentiioned himself at the death bed, and that he wanted his father's love and attention until the very end (the blessings and cursings).  This indicates a very close relationship, and Thomas himself seems to rage against death, which indicates he is upset that it is taking his father away. 

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/go-gentle/summary
    http://www.enotes.com/go-gentle/text-poem

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    Posted by mrs-campbell on Monday December 15, 2008 at 8:28 AM


  2. tpisano Teacher
    Middle School

    eNotes Editor

    In Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" was written about his father. His father was a strong military man for most of his life. It was not until he reached his eighties that he became weak and  blind. As you can imagine, this was hard for Dylan Thomas to witness.  His poem is urging his father not to give up so easily.

    “Do not go gentle into that good night.” 

    This line means do not go easily

    He repeats this line and urges his father to fight in each stanza.

    In the last stanza he says:

    “And so my father you are nearing death—yell at me, scream at me, cry out; to see you do that would be a blessing for me and I beg you to show me that militant man you once were: “Do not go gentle . . . . ”

    He is longing for his father to be the strong man that he once was again. He is telling his audience that he wants his father to die as he lived, a strong man.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/go-gentle/text-poem

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    Posted by tpisano on Monday December 15, 2008 at 8:33 AM