Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1951

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1. Explain how the second line of every verse expresses frustration. What is each frustration about? How might the men in each verse resolve that frustration proactively?

2. Aside from the repeating lines “Do not go gentle […]” and “Rage, rage[…],” give examples of words or phrases that stress the poem’s defiant tone.

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3. How does the tone shift in the final verse, and why? Explain how that verse can be regarded as the emotional climax of the poem.

4. The poem contains many words and phrases that serve as symbols or have double meanings (for example, “green bay,” “sun in flight,” etc.) Note each of these words and phrases along with each one’s symbolic representation or additional meaning. Also, find the pun in the fifth verse. Why is it a pun?