Sample Response: Both poems focus on the topic of
death, but they convey opposite messages. In "Do not go
gentle into that good night," Thomas uses the refrain
"Rage, rage against the dying of the light" to develop the
theme "No matter what, it is important to struggle to stay
alive." Yeats, on the other hand, uses parallelism
throughout "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" to
show that life and death are balanced. This helps develop
the theme of the poem: "Because death is inevitable, it
does not matter if one lives or dies."
What did you include in your response? Check all that
apply.
the theme of "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death"
the theme of "Do not go gentle into that good night"
examples that show how each theme is developed
a discussion of how the two themes are different