Death and Impermanence

Death and Impermanence

Death

This paper will discuss the comparison and contrast of Dylan Thomas’ “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night” and Robert Frost’s “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” It will cover the basic make up of these two poems in the aspects of content, form and style in each selection.

The content in the poem “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night” by Dylan Thomas was very strong and told the story of dying men. These men were from all types of back grounds. There were some that were old, some wise, others good and others wild. But the one thing that they all had in common is that they were all dying. But for those who were speaking of them, were telling them to fight and not to die or go into the good night. By saying this, it meant the inevitable end of life or death. It is documented that Dylan wrote this for his dying father. It reads,

“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, against the dying of the light.” (Glugston, 2010, p. 12.3)

His images were carefully ordered in a patterned sequence, and his major theme was the unity of all life, the continuing process of life and death and new life that linked the generations. (Paananen, 2003, pp. 46)

In contrast, the content in the poem “Nothing Gold can Stay” by Robert Frost was that of growing up or growing old, but not dying or impermanence. It reads,

“Nature’s first green is gold

Her hardest hue to hold

Her early leaf’s a flower

But only so an hour

The leaf subsides to leaf

So Eden sank to grief

So dawn goes down to day

Nothing gold can stay.” (Clugston, 2010, P 10.5)

All the symbols that were mentioned were those things that turn older, or maybe even just a different color. Like the leaves on a tree, they turn yellowish gold before the winter comes. The sky turns from the same color at sundown just before darkness settles in signifying the end of...