The Torment Of Youngsters In Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

In Tennyson’s “Crossing the Bar,” the author is describing his desired way to part from this world. His word choice helps create an illusion over the theme of his poem. As far with word choice, the author uses imagery to help paint a picture in the readers head. He describes the day, tides, night, and his departure into death. The order in which the author describes the event helps contribute to the mood and develop the theme. With the imagery and tone given, we are able to concur that the author is approaching death. When the author mentions that it has turned into the dark twilight, this resembles his death. However, he does not seem to resent his death but welcomes it in a way. The mood shows that the author is not afraid of dying. In the poem, Tennyson comments, “And may there be no moaning of the bar” (787). In addition, Tennyson also adds, “And may there be no sadness of farewell” (787). By Tennyson making these statements we are able to infer that he is fearless of death and embraces the afterlife. He tells his friends to not moan because in his mind there is no reason to because he will finally be in his true home. Perrine mentions in his writings all of the images that are portrayed representing serenity. Perrine adds, “all of these images suggest ideas of loveliness and peace, undisturbed by doubt and apprehension” (129). Tennyson has accepted his death and finds it rewarding and gives off a sense of confidence in his passing. As mentioned by Perrine, “Since he is confident of going on to a better world, the poet assures his friends, there is no reason for them to lament his passing. He is returning 'home,' and will meet his 'Pilot face to face” (129). Therefore, causing the theme of this poem to be focused on the acceptance of death and confidence in his potential outcome; as well as embracing it instead of being horrified by it and rejecting his death because it is inevitable to happen.

In Dylan Thomas’s “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night,” the author describes the young son tormented by the inevitably of his father's death and encourages his father to fight for his life. His word choice helps to show the reader his passion for his resentment towards death; causing it to develop a kind of lost cause, dramatic mood. The author in this poem uses more diction to tell his story rather than imagery. He talks about raging towards death and the feelings of every other man towards death as well as the feeling incompletion and dissatisfaction with their lives. “Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Those 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,” (Thomas 982). This merely means that all men die feeling incomplete and unaccomplished which plays into Cry’s writing of his father’s humiliation. Therefore his father should not feel humiliated and give up, but rather fight and resist deaths cruel fate. Considering the young son's livid behavior, you could concur that the boy's father might be accepting his death and that perhaps that is the reason for the boy's avid behavior. In addition, through Cyr’s writing, it is revealed that potentially Thomas was writing this poem into relation with his own father; likewise, Cyr states that the poem is, “an exhortation to his father, a plea for him to die with anger, not humility” (208). However, the question then arises of why would his father die with humiliation. Cyr gives us information mentions that his father was, “an unhappy man … a man with regrets” (208); born with brains and literary talent, his ambition was to be a man of letters, but he was never able to advance beyond being “a sardonic provincial schoolmaster” (208). This insight helps better explain part of the son's rage. His father had dreams and talent, but yet his potential was never reached; leaving the father feeling defeated and humiliated. However, it is clear that Thomas knows his father could have accomplished those things but was unable to due to sickness; which is why he believes his father should be angry that he is being robbed of his life and aspirations. The mood could be seen as resentment towards death or possibly the resentment of a boy towards his father's decision in handling his death peacefully. In Portman’s homage, she mentions that the poems, “... message echoes the pervasive sentiment that one must defy death at any age” (901). Meaning that no one should accept death, therefore playing into the message of his poem. Likewise, causing the theme of this poem to be the inevitability of death and the son's resentment towards it.