Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night – Dylan Thomas
(1:33)
read by Dylan Thomas. audio from salon.com.
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.
(1951)
August 21st, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Most poem.oftheweek readers are probably a little more familiar with the line from el Presidente’s speech in ‘Independence Day,’ ‘We will not go quietly into the night!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRGUqd_M6Mg
Sweet!
August 27th, 2009 at 12:56 am
there does seem to be a tip of the hat, doesn’t there?
December 17th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
When I was a teenager being emo and reading through my copy Dylan Thomas’ complete poems, this was the first one that really hit me, so I wrote it out to keep a copy of it on my wall.
March 12th, 2010 at 12:09 am
i think many of us had a similar reaction to the poem. i really like his reading here…i used to imagine this as something more fiery and angry.