Darren Leong 4H107

ANALYSIS OF DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT

Alexander Pope’s quote: “the sound should seem an echo of the sense”

1. What do you think “sense” refers to? What is your understanding of Alexander Pope’s quote?

I think “sense” here refers to a combination of point ii and point iii. I believe it means the feelings the reader will have towards that particular word, and how the “sound” affects the reader’s interpretation of that word, and poem as a whole. Therefore, I feel that the “sound” of a word will give readers a sense of what the poet is trying to bring across, allowing the reader to interpret and understand the word better and perhaps, with relative ease. This is especially so when the sound of a particular word is able to evoke emotions in the reader’s mind, which suits the mood and atmosphere of the poem, enhancing the reader’s interpretation of the poem, just like how an “echo” enhances an initial sound.

PART 1: PRE-REFLECTION

Please provide 2 examples each of the following poetic devices. Accompany each answer with a verbal explanation of how your example uses each device

a. Rhyme

1. career, beer – This is known as an imperfect rhyme, since the rhyme of ”-eer” occurs at an unstressed syllable, and a stressed syllable respectively.

2. gun, barn – This is known as an oblique/forced rhyme, in which there is an imperfect match in sound. The words are pronounced almost as if they rhyme, hence in a sense, you ”force” the words to rhyme.

b. Rhythm

3. The wind in her hair/The chair that sat there – Stressed syllables are “wind”, “hair” and “chair”, “there”.

4. Roses are red/Violets are blue – This is an example of an iambic pentameter, in which a stressed syllable is followed by an unstressed syllable.

PART 1: PRE-REFLECTION

c. Assonance

1. fool, drool – emphasis on the vowels “-oo”.

2. Glee, free – emphasis on the vowels “-ee”.

d. Consonance

3. pot, dot – emphasis on the final consonant “-t”

4. Lack, crack – emphasis on the final consonants “-ck”

e. Onomatopoeia

5. Woof – the sound a dog produces, reminds us of a dog.

6. Roar – the sound a lion produces, bring to mind a lion.

PART 1: PRE-REFLECTION

Q: “How has Dylan Thomas used language and poetic devices to drive home his message about death?”

1. What is the overall tone of the poem?• I believe that the overall tone of the poem is rather

forceful yet solemn, since it is written to Dylan Thomas’ father, asking him to fight and struggle with death, to overcome death. As a result, a tensed atmosphere is created.

• This is especially evident in the words used to bring out the message, such as “curse”, “fierce” and “rage”, which are extremely strong and emotional words.

• “Do not go gentle into that good night” is also like Dylan Thomas’ “command” to his father, forcefully pleading with him not to give in to death, and to fight till the end.

PART 2: ANALYSING

2. What are the two refrains which appear throughout the poem? What is the effect of that repetition and the interlocking rhyme pattern it forms?• The 2 refrains are “Rage, rage against the dying of the light” and

“Do not go gentle into that good night”.• The repetition of these 2 refrains through out the poem, is like

Dylan Thomas providing moral support for his father, imploring and motivating him continue his struggle against death, and not to give in so easily to death.

• Furthermore, this is a villanelle, with a rhyme scheme of aba-aba-aba, an extremely restrictive form of poem, giving us the idea that Dylan Thomas has to restrict his grief within this rigid pattern of rhyme and pattern.

• However it also shows how death is the natural order of life (just like how the poem is in order), and that despite knowing that death is inevitable, Dylan Thomas is still trying to persuade his father not to give in without a fight.

PART 2: ANALYSING

3. Note that apart from the first stanza, each successive stanza contains only either one of the refrains. In the last stanza, however, the 2 refrains form a rhyming couplet that concluded the poem. Why do you think Dylan Thomas chooses to do so? What is the effect of ending with both refrains?• It perhaps shows a final call for his father to continue his fight and

struggle against death, and not give in to death so easily. It gives a finality to the poem, just like how death gives a finality to life.

• It also shows Thomas’ desperation at asking his father to continue living, knowing that death is inevitable, and his father is never going to win the battle against death, hence, there is a sense of futility and resignation to fate at the end.

• As a result, the final rhyming couplet further serves to reaffirm the idea that death cannot be escaped, and no matter how hard one fight against death, death will eventually come, either sooner or later, and it is just a matter of time.

PART 2: ANALYSING

4. “Old age should burn and rage at close of day”. Do you see the use of onomatopoeia in this line? What is the effect of onomatopoeia here? Where else in the poem does Thomas use onomatopoeia?• I think “age” brings about an image of a flame, a burning

flame, full of passion and life.• Furthermore, “rage” serves to show how bright the flame

is burning, showing how much Dylan Thomas is pleading with his father to continue burning with life, and to rage against death, struggle against death, and not give in to death so easily.

PART 2: ANALYSING

5. How do the wise men, good men, wild men, and grave men react to death? How have each of these men lived their lives?• Wise men knows the inevitability of death, that death will come no

matter what, however, the fact that they have not lived life to its fullest, they are unwilling to give in to death.

• Good men believes that they can do more good to society, hence is waging a war against death, so that they can do more good to people.

• Grave men are unwilling to give in to life, as only upon the brink of death, do they have an enlightenment about the real purpose of life, and that they have not lived their life with purpose, hence, wants to live longer, so that they can fulfil their purpose in life.

• Wild men wants to continue to lead wild, and happy lives, and feel that the time is not yet right for them to leave humanity, since they have not experienced enough joy and happiness.

PART 2: ANALYSING

6. At “And you, my father, there on the sad height”, Dylan Thomas’s tone transforms into something far more intimate and personal. How is this change in tone shown, and what is its effect? Why does Dylan Thomas implore his father to “Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray”?• I think this change reveals a sign of resignation and futility in the poet’s

point of view. Even though he loves his father a lot, and does not wish for him to leave humanity, this last intimate and personal moment, is as if his father if going to die, and it is time for him to express his last words of love and care to his father.

• He hopes that his father will not give in so easily to death, and to “curse, bless” with “fierce tears”, so as to keep his fighting spirit on, and to wage a winning war against death.

• However, the sense of resignation of fate can be felt here, and that it shows that Dylan Thomas realizes that death will ultimately befall all humans, and that when the time comes, it will come, and there is no point fighting death, since its inevitability means that all struggles against death are ultimately futile.

PART 2: ANALYSING

7. By the end of the poem, why do you think that Dylan Thomas is exhorting his father to resist death instead of just “[going] gentle into that good night”? Is it because he himself fears a world without his father?• It could be because Dylan Thomas yearns for someone to shower him with

fatherly love, and could not bear for his father to leave him just like that.• Alternatively, it can be seen to be a representation of death as a whole. • Death is inevitable, and no matter how one struggle against death, death

will still prevail, since it gives a finality to the natural order of life. • Dylan Thomas wants his father to leave the face of this world with pride,

rather than simply giving in to death, hence, his exhortation to his father to at least let his life end on a high note, so that he can leave, knowing that he has tried fighting against death, though to no avail.

• Hence, the message here is probably to tell everyone that death will befall everyone, and the thing is to fight against death, so that we will leave peacefully, knowing we have fought against death, and not let death take our lives away so easily.

PART 2: ANALYSING

1. After the exercise, how do you interpret Pope’s quote: “the sound should seem an echo to the sense”. Do you think this is always the case for all poems? Give an example of:

I firmly believe that Pope is trying to say that sounds are extremely important in evoking certain specific emotions and ideas in a reader’s mind, so that the reader will be able to interpret the poem as the poet would like he/she to. A good poet, hence, will be able to cleverly manipulate sounds to achieve specific effects on readers, which suit the mood and atmosphere of the poem, so as to effectively bring across his/her message.

a. A poem which relies heavily on aural poetic devices to impact the reader.

Wings Lifted over the Black Pit by Allen Ginsberg – repeated “s” and “t” sounds

b. A poem in which sound is not as important.

One of Issa’s haiku:

O snail

Climb Mount Fuji,

But slowly, slowly!

Juxtaposition of two ideas that brings across a message, instead of use of sounds. In this context, it is as if the snail moves really quickly, that the poet has to ask it to slow down.

PART 4: POST-REFLECTION

2. Consider the difference between 'visual' poetic devices (such as imagery) and 'aural' poetic devices. Which do you prefer, and why? Substantiate your response with examples from poems of your choice.• Personally, I prefer “visual” poetic devices to “aural” poetic

devices, as visual poetic devices help readers visualize and interpret a poem more clearly and better.

• Imagery paints a picture of the poem in our minds, allowing us to visualize it better, and brings across the poet’s message more easily, while aural poetic devices merely enhances and supplement a poem, and is unable to evoke emotions to the same extent as visual poetic devices.

• Hence, I feel that visual poetic devices are able to impact readers more effectively, and the images portrayed sometimes is extremely vivid, to the point that it can linger in our minds for quite some time.

PART 4: POST-REFLECTION

• One example I am going to use to illustrate my point is Wilfred Owen’s Dulce et Decorum est.

• “Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cudOf vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues”

• The above shows how vivid an image can be, as it shows the ghastly effects of wars, reaffirming his point that “war is sweet and right”, is nothing but a lie.

• This poem also depicts sounds, like “Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!”.• However, these sounds merely show the chaos in war,

supplementing the poem’s idea that war is destructive and chaotic.

• All in all, sounds supplement and enhance poems, while visual poetic devices are better and evoking emotions in a reader’s mind. Hence I prefer visual poetic devices.

PART 4: POST-REFLECTION

Done by Darren Leong 4H107

THE END