Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas - Summary

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night is one of the most famous poems of Dylan Thomas, who wrote this poem for his father who was suffering from a deadly disease. 

The narrator urges his apparent dying father to resist the ensuing death. The metaphorical line "Do not go gentle into that good night" acts as a refrain throughout the poem guiding his father to keep up his fighting spirit.

It is a known fact that no one can escape death. But mankind has been gifted with infinite courage and perseverance. The virility and strong will of man have pushed him to survive in worst case scenarios.

Thomas exhorts him to give a tough fight to death. His old age should burst with vigour at its end and it will push through the final closing of eyes with as much effort as possible.

Wise and sagacious people are aware of the inevitability of death and it is conspicuous that all are destined to die. They know the limits of their knowledge and no matter how great or persuasive they may sound, they are unlike Thor, the God of thunder and lightning, who can summon lightning.

Despite all this knowledge, they still put the effort and believe in playing their role till the end.

In the advent of the last flood wave, these men glance at their own great piece of work which will soon be swallowed by a giant wave/ tides. Still, they do not lose hope, knowing well the writing on the wall.

The promiscuous and self-indulgent men who left nothing under the sun from which they gained pleasure. They learnt too late about the superficiality and hollowness of these petty pleasure. They regret engaging in such things. But still they do not lose interest in living and refrain from having thoughts of death.

It is said that a person who is on deathbed, possess the visual power to look beyond the common sight and revisits the crucial moments of his life.

The poet uses oxymoron with "blinding sight". It means that although the dying person is about to depart but his sight can look beyond. He uses the simile of "meteor" to compare with those enlightened eyes. 

Unarguably the dying person resists death due to his survival instinct.

The narrator tries to stir him up, so that he doesn't lose consciousness. He begs him to say something, whether it be a blessing or curse words. Again he urges his father to not give in to the temptation of death easily.