Purpose of Life: Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good
Night by Dylan Thomas
by Lillian Bonar
Essay: Purpose of Life: Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas
Pages: 11
Rating: 3 stars
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Dylan Thomas’ poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” focuses on the purpose of life. Dylan Thomas
suggests that the ultimate consequences an individual faces are those that result from the effortless acceptance of
giving into death which, in turn, forces him to fight it rather than mutually accepting its fate. The poet conveys this
message through the articulate structure of the poem, by the use of poetic conventions and through the
perspective of four types of men who journey through life.
Through all six stanzas, the poet uses a distinctive “aba, aba, aba, aba, aba, abaa” rhyme scheme. In each stanza,
the “aba” pattern stresses the significance of the middle line as if it were to hold more importance. This unique
pattern in effect also isolates the auditor’s attention to the middle line of each stanza, as the line stands out and
does not comply with the rhyme scheme of the surrounding lines around it. It is also noted that although the
middle line in each stanza does not rhyme with the lines it is embedded into, it directly rhymes with the second
line of previous stanza as well as proceeding, classified as the “b” pattern. The rhyme scheme incorporated into
the poem allows the stanzas to flow as if they were a passing of time. In each of the stanzas, the central line
directly indicates a negative outcome of the individual’s actions. For instance, in the second stanza which refers to
the “wise men” (4) the speaker says “Because their words had forked no lightning they” (5) which indicates that the
wise man’s intellectual ability and his knowledge proved to be seldom useful in life. In the third stanza, the speaker
makes reference to the “Good men” (7) and says in the second line, “Their frail deeds might have d...