English The Art Of English Poetry
"Do Not Go Gentle Into That Goodnight" 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 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.
when will we again hear a voice of his quality .. Richard Burton
Richard Burton was a lovely man. :-)
So thought Elisabeth Taylor also
but
I do not agree with the rage rage bit.
Peace would suit me better waht do you think dear WoSchi?
dear Yoli -
as every famous poet has aone very special work he is proud of - it was this very dark masterpiece for Dylan Thomas that he wrote for his already very weak and ailing father who passed away shortly after it was publihed for the first time. And it is a very sad and interesting fact, that Dylan Thomas himself, along with his father, an unborn son and three of his friends also died in the following two years.
The two repeating refrains of "Do not go gentle into that good night - Rage, rage against the dying of the light” are forming the primary message that informs the meaning of the work. When Dylan Thomas references “that good night,” he is using it as a metaphor for the end of life, and as a parallel to “the dying of the light,” which is a symbol for the same idea.
The principal idea for this poem is that human beings should resist death with all of their strength before the end and that they should fight for their lives to defeat death once more . The two refrains act as a mirror for each other with regards to their meaning as well.
The first refrain has a calmer, and more positive meaning to it, specifically by using the phrases “gentle,” and “good night.” The second one, on the other hand, repeats the word “rage,” and references “the dying of the light;” two much more grim ideas that are both expressions of the same idea as in the first one ...
Let's not distort the original version by making your own changes ;-)
No way would I want to change someone’s poetic ideas. The way you explained it it is understandable that he felt rage.
I meant to convey, that death is not a terrible happening for me…it is only my own feeling that I like to state here.
Nice to have you here in this thread
Author Unknown
Smiling is infectious,
you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner
and someone saw my grin.
When he smiled I realized
I'd passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile,
then I realized its worth.
A single smile, just like mine
could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin,
don't leave it undetected.
Let's start an epidemic quick,
and get the world infected!
Spike Milligan is mentioned to have written this poem ?
Sometimes small miracles happen:
More than 55 years ago, I heard a poem read on the radio as part of a series about Alexander von Humboldt and his South American travels. Again and again the lines of the two mountains that took me by the hand went through my head and everywhere I looked for it. No luck in so many years.
Now, after 8 years, a Briton has actually answered me to a request in an Internet forum and lo and behold: it was an English poem by W.J. Turner !
My memory played a trick on me and I had forgotten that I had heard the poem in English at that time.
Here it is:
Romance, by W.J. Turner ,,
When I was but thirteen or so
I went into a golden land,
Chimborazo, Cotopaxi
Took me by the hand.
My father died, my brother too,
They passed like fleeting dreams,
I stood where Popocatapetl
In the sunlight gleams.
I dimly heard the master's voice
And boys far-off at play,
Chimborazo, Cotopaxi
Had stolen me away.
I walked in a great golden dream
To and fro from school--
Shining Popocatapetl
The dusty streets did rule.
I walked home with a gold dark boy,
And never a word I'd say,
Chimborazo, Cotopaxi
Had taken my speech away:
I gazed entranced upon his face
Fairer than any flower--
O shining Popocatapetl
It was thy magic hour:
The houses, people, traffic seemed
Thin fading dreams by day,
Chimborazo, Cotopaxi
They had stolen my soul away!
Being a young girl of about 17 I used to live in Gloucestershire and often I went to the library of my school. Once I found a poem there which fascinated me and I still love it since - but there was no poet's name on.
I would greately appreciate, if here was anyone who had an idea, who had written this poem.
Love not me for comely grace
nor for pleasing eye or face
nor for any outwart part,
No, not for my constant heart.
For those may fail or turn to ill
so thou and I shalt sever.
Keep therefore a true woman's eye.
And love me stil, but know not why -
So hast thou the same reason still
To dout upon me ever.
Thank you all for bothering and seeking out yours Rosemarie
Having searched online, I found the following:
Greetings from the rocks of Cornwall,
Lerge
Popocatapetl
Chimborazo,
Cotopaxi
Sometimes it is the sheer love of an unusual word or name which can inspire a poem. That’s certainly the case with W.J. Turner’s poem Romance which simply revels in the names of volcanoes.
Very well explained.
I had to look it up as the names were unknown to me.
Thanh you for putting the Poem in!
Thank you for giving me a push in the direction again. I have given away lots of books but none were those of poetry. I start reading them again and put one or two in here.