Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

“Do not go gentle into that good night” employs light imagery as a symbol of life and the imagery of darkness as a symbol of death. Thomas refers to fire and light with words like “burn” (Line 2), “lightning” (Line 5), “bright” (Line 7), “sun” (Line 10), and “meteors” (Line 14). These references connect the appearance of light with the fullness of life, life energy, and a sense of vitality amongst the individuals who are described with such words. Many of these images fade, just as life is extinguished in the groups of individuals about whom Thomas writes the poem.

The phrase “that good night” (Line 1), which is repeated several times throughout the poem, symbolizes the dark imagery that is typical of literary suggestions of death. Several other references to darkness appear, such as “close of day” (Line 2), “the dying of the light” (Line 3), and “dark” (Line 4). The absence of light is also notable in the imagery of blindness that appears later in the poem.

The juxtaposition of light and dark imagery throughout the poem emphasizes the extreme contrast that exists between the living and the dead. When compared to the absence of movement and energy that characterizes death,

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