“Do not go gentle into that good night” is a poem in the form of a villanelle by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, and is one of his best-known works. Though first published in the journal Botteghe Oscure in 1951, the poem was written in 1947 while Thomas visited Florence with his family. “Though first published in the journal Botteghe Oscure in 1951, the poem was written in 1947 while Thomas visited Florence with his family.
Do not go gentle into that good night
‘Do not go gentle into that good night’ was initially published in a literary journal in 1951. It later appeared in one of Thomas’s own volumes the next year. It is a noticeably dark poem, concerning itself with the end of life and the personal struggle to hang onto that life for as long as possible. Fans of Dylan Thomas have speculated that the poem was written for his ailing father, who passed away the year after the poem was first published. But, without clear evidence, it’s important to consider the speaker as separate from the poet.
It is interesting (albeit very sad) to note that in the two years following the poem’s publication, Dylan Thomas himself, along with his father, unborn son, and three of his friends, would also pass away, giving the work a grim, real-world aspect of foreshadowing to it.
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1. Use these five sources below to create an annotated bibliography.
2. Each annotation clearly summarizes the source, including its overall argument, method of development, and significant points.(5-6 sentences)
3. Citations conform to MLA format (8th ed.), and are organized alphabetically by author’s last name with proper indentation for sources that consist of more than one line. The document is double-spaced throughout in a 12 pt. font. One-inch margins are observed.
4. All sources relate to “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”, make useful contributions to the study of literature, and are likely to give depth and relevance to the analysis. Certain important information about the source should be included in an annotation, including a little about the author’s credentials (if you can find it), the purpose and audience of the article, and how the argument is supported. It is also useful to compare the article with others on the topic and discuss how it may contribute to a wider discussion of the work.
Morgan, Robert. “‘The Poetics of Work’: An Interview with Robert Morgan.” Poetry Criticism, edited by Jonathan Vereecke, vol. 213, Gale, 2019. Poetry Criticism. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/
Hochman, Jhan. “An overview of “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night”.” Poetry for Students, Gale. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/
Fitzgibbon, Constantine. “Young Dylan Thomas: The Escape to London.” Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, edited by Dedria Bryfonski, vol. 1, Gale, 1978. Gale Literature Criticism, link-gale-com.p-libpxy.
“The Apocalyptic Movement, An Introduction to.” Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, edited by Linda Pavlovski and Scott T. Darga, vol. 106, Gale, 2001. Gale Literature Criticism, link-gale-com.p-libpxy.
