Summary

‘Do not go gentle into that good night  by Dylan

Thomas is a moving poem that defines death
and tells readers to defy it and rage against it
for as long as possible.
The speaker spends most of the poem telling
readers, and it as it turns out their own father,
not to give into death peacefully and calmly.
One shouldn’t just accept that it’s coming and
go to it willingly. Good people resist until the
last moment, knowing that there’s more that
they could to improve the world. The same can
be said for daring and energetic people who
know how exciting and beautiful life can be. In
the final stanza, the speaker turns to address
someone personal in their lives– their father.
This person is facing old age, and the speaker
wants them to “rage” against the dark like
everyone else.
Symbols
In ‘Do not go gentle into that good night,’  Dylan Thomas
uses light, meteors, and lightning.

 Light. Light is the most important symbol used in

this poem. It symbolizes a will to live and a desire
to change the world for the better. Light
symbolizes the best parts of life and everything
worth fighting for.

 Meteors. In lines thirteen through fourteen, the poet

describes “Grave men, near death” and how blind eyes
“could blaze like meteors and be gay.” They can still
experience joy like a bright flash across the sky. The
meteor symbolizes hope and the potential for a lasting
effect on the world.
 Lightning. Lightning symbolizes inspiration and is seen
in lines four through five when the wise men realize that
their “words had forked no lightning.”. Lightning also
symbolizes power. It is beyond the touch of death, just
like these men would like to be.