Trying to understand a poem when first reading it is very difficult. One mustread the poem several times to understand the author’s point.
It is important toconcentrate on grammatical structures and rhyme schemes. This essay will comparethe work of Dylan Thomas’ “Do not go gentle into that good night” tothe work of Andrew Hudgins’ “Elegy for My Father, Who Is Not Dead. “Both works concentrate on their fathers, as they become closer to death. Theauthors of the respective poems have different views behind the word”death. ” Within the poem “Do not go gentle into that goodnight”, Thomas speaks on how one should value life.
He feels as though lifeis something special and should not be taken for granted. Moreover, he believesthat one should keep their head up and believe that there will be a brighter daytomorrow. The refrains: “Rage, rage against the dying of the light”and “Do not go gentle into that good night” symbolize the thought. Onthe other hand, Hudgins views death as something that is very special, astepping stone in life. He feels that death is a continuation of life, insteadof the end of life. Lines 3-5 of “Elegy for My Father, Who Is NotDead” says, “In the sureness of his faith, he talks about the worldbeyond this world as though his reservations have been made” supports thetheory.
In addition, the tones of the poems are comparable. Each poem reveals alonely and sorrowful tone. In “Elegy for My Father, Who Is Not Dead”,line 14 says, He’s ready. I am not.
I can’t just say good-bye as cheerfully asif he were embarking on a trip. . . ” reveals that the passing of his fatheris something that he is not ready to handle. He knows that the passing of hisfather’s will bring sadness, loneliness, and a sense of emptiness to his hearts. Likewise, Thomas would feel the same way is his father was to pass away.
Finally, the poems have contrasting themes; Thomas feels death as a horribleexperience, while Hudgins sees death as a joyous experience. For example, thepoem “Elegy for My Father, Who Is Not Dead” views death as a cruise toa place that is promised to be joyous. Also, it indicates that the son wouldeventually repeat the journey of death the father took. On the other hand, line4 of “Do not go gentle into that good night says, “Though wise men attheir end know dark is right. .
“. Thomas sees death as something dreary anddark. The author does not see death as a mark in life, but rather the end oflife in all aspects; mentally, physically, and spiritually. Thomas believes thatdeath is like being blind, and not knowing what is going on. In conclusion, bothpoems express different views of death. Thomas feels that death as somethingthat is dreary, while Hudgins views death as a joyous occasion that is just astepping stone of life.
Each poem reveals that the sons are not ready for theirfather’s death. The authors feel that their fathers should try everything toavoid death. Also, the authors not that their life’s would not be the samewithout their fathers beside them. Death is a word that can be interpreted inmany different ways.
