Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night - Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night Analysis

"Do not go gentle into that good night" is a poem in the form of a villanelle, and the most famous work of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914â€"1953). Though first published in the journal Botteghe Oscure in 1951, it was actually written in 1947 when he was in Florence with his family. It was published, along with other stories previously written, as part of his In Country Sleep, And Other Poems in 1952.

It has been suggested that it was written for Thomas' dying father, although he did not die until just before Christmas 1952. It has no title other than its first line, "Do not go gentle into that good night", a line which appears as a refrain throughout. Its other refrain is "Rage, rage against the dying of the light".

The poem currently remains under copyright, but was made publicly available here [1] at poets.org (with the copyright holder's permission).

In popular culture

It was used as the text for the 1954 In Memoriam Dylan Thomas (Dirge-Canons and Song) for tenor and chamber ensemble, by Igor Stravinsky. The piece was written soon after Thomas' death and first performed in 1954.
It was the inspiration for three paintings by Swansea-born painter and print-maker Ceri Richards, in 1954, 1956, and 1965, respectively.
In the 1996 film Independence Day, the President makes a rousing speech as he prepares to lead the attack against the alien invaders, adapting Thomas' line, saying, "We will not go quietly into the night".
It is used repeatedly by the character Professor John Brand, played by Michael Caine, as well as several other supporting characters in the 2014 film Interstellar.
Musician Richard Burmer recorded a track on his album Treasures of The Saints with this title. The track includes a recitation of the poem by Thomas himself recorded by the BBC in 1951.
It was used by Rodney Dangerfield in the movie Back to School.
It was used as the title for the series finale of the TV series Roseanne which aired on May 20th 1997.
In the TV series Once Upon a Time, Regina's Evil Queen counter part says "Rage, rage against the dying of the light".
In 2017 PhRMA campaign "Go Boldly" intended to illustrate the work of American biotechnology companies.
In the 1995 film "Dangerous Minds", LouAnne uses this poem extensively to teach her students about symbolism and metaphor.
In the 2014 film Interstellar, this poem is recited by a narrator before the team departs on their voyage to Saturn.