Question

“Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”

Fourth Stanza
How might these people have “sang the sun in flight” and then “grieved” it? What imagery do you see in this stanza?
Fifth Stanza
What images do you see in stanza 5?
Sixth Stanza
Why do all these men not go gently into death?
What role do light and darkness play in the poem?

Answer 1

Fourth Stanza
It suggests that they know that death is a natural part of life and they are wise enough to know they should accept it.

Fifth Stanza
Thomas’ way of saying that they want to hold on to life to be able to leave their mark, thereby sustaining their memory in history as great scholars or philosophers.

Sixth Stanza
Thomas moves forward and describes the next group as good men. They reflect on their lives as the end approaches