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.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on that sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
This poem needs no academic analysis to be understood. Just heard, then felt. Its power is derived from its honest raw emotion, and Dylan’s repeated futile plea for his father to: “rage, rage, against the dying of the light”.
His anger is obvious as he urges his father to fight for life. Dylan knows his death is inevitable. He knows also that he’s powerless to prevent it. Despite this, there’s still something in his words and emotion we respect: loyalty and love. These values rouse him to resist the destruction of death, stir his heartfelt passion, and keep him proud whilst inspiring the fight against definite defeat.
This is a man’s poem. A celebration of paternal love. Regrettably, such love is often marginalised today. Regularly is it dismissed as having virtually no validity within the ‘family’ law courts. Collectively, men need to reclaim these values, and their natural paternal rights, from those political powers that shrewdly subvert them. Like Dylan, we should be raging, raging against this incremental deterioration of our natural rights. I hope that Dylan’s passionate example above will encourage some men to realise that rage does have its virtue, in the right place, for the right cause, at the right time.
Let’s be aware that apathy, is often interpreted by the powerful, as consent. Therefore, I think we should all learn to rage a little more often.
Dylan Thomas – “Do not go gentle…”
Dylan & Caitlan
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.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on that sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
This poem needs no academic analysis to be understood. Just heard, then felt. Its power is derived from its honest raw emotion, and Dylan’s repeated futile plea for his father to: “rage, rage, against the dying of the light”.
His anger is obvious as he urges his father to fight for life. Dylan knows his death is inevitable. He knows also that he’s powerless to prevent it. Despite this, there’s still something in his words and emotion we respect: loyalty and love. These values rouse him to resist the destruction of death, stir his heartfelt passion, and keep him proud whilst inspiring the fight against definite defeat.
This is a man’s poem. A celebration of paternal love. Regrettably, such love is often marginalised today. Regularly is it dismissed as having virtually no validity within the ‘family’ law courts. Collectively, men need to reclaim these values, and their natural paternal rights, from those political powers that shrewdly subvert them. Like Dylan, we should be raging, raging against this incremental deterioration of our natural rights. I hope that Dylan’s passionate example above will encourage some men to realise that rage does have its virtue, in the right place, for the right cause, at the right time.
Let’s be aware that apathy, is often interpreted by the powerful, as consent. Therefore, I think we should all learn to rage a little more often.
References:
Image – http://www.flickr.com/photos/41099823@N00/2083572072/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dylan_Thomas
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