Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night

Herewith one of the finest, and perhaps most well-known specimens in English of the vilanelle, a French poetic form introduced into English during the 19th century.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

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, rage against the dying of the light.

Dylan Thomas

1 comment:

  1. OT comment ~ You may be working on such a post, but what are you thoughts on the Cincinnati court's ruling that the Vatican can be sued? Isn't that taking US authority WAY out of bounds? Are they going to decide next they have legal jurisdiction over some other sovereign state?

    I haven't read the decision (I NEED to be reading the Summa right now!), but am certain you can shed some light on this.

    and on that sour note...

    God bless, and Happy Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete