Search This Blog

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Dylan Thomas

One of my favorite poems that I recently re-discovered.




DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT
by Dylan Thomas


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. 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Funny...my first experienec with this poem was while watching "Back to School" with Rodney Dangerfield. But hearing him recite it peaked my interest enough to run off and do some research.

I marvel at where we can derive motivation from...to go from that type of movie, to reading and appreciating some poetry.

Stephen Albert said...

The older I've gotten the more I've learned to appreciate poetry. I was talking to someone at work and they were amazed that I...this 6'3" middle aged guy...loved Emily Dickinson and could quote her poems.

As I've noted before, it's amazing how the words of someone else can end up being so deeply personal.