Think Walnise Laurs Do not go gentile into that good night Prem Background Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea, Wales in 1914. He left school at the age of 16 to become a writer. He worked at the newspaper the South Wales Evening Post. His most famous poem is this one "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night." which was published in 1952. Thomas passed away a year after this poem was published. This poem was written in 1951 when he addressed it to his father, whose eyesight and general health were failing. At this time, Thomas himself was also struggling with mental and physical illness. The poem is in a villanelle, which is a nineteen-line poetic form consisting of five tercets followed by a quatrain. There are two refrains and two repeating rhymes, with the first and third line of the first tercet repeated alternately until the last stanza, which includes both repeated lines. The villanelle is an example of a fixed verse form. 1214 1953 "Fight till the last gasp." - Shakespeare's Henry VI 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 5 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, 10 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 the 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. 15 20 e-Faulkne