Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

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 that 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

Submitted: Friday, January 03, 2003

Poetry Jigsaw Example

Example: The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

    While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—

            Only this and nothing more.”

                  Text Evidence                                    Literary/Rhet. Device                               Analysis

Weak and Weary; Nodded, nearly napping	Alliteration,	The repetition of the first sounds adds to the rhythm of the poem, while the words themselves speak of fatigue and weakness, showing that the narrator was exhausted and perhaps not in his right mind.
Dreary, weary, napping, tapping, rapping	Internal Rhyme, Onomatopoeia, Imagery	Again, this adds to the rhythm and flow of the poem, but some of the words take on the actual sound of the actions, giving the reader the ability to hear what the narrator heard, placing them in the story.
“Tis’ some visitor, I muttered …” Only this and nothing more.”	Specific word choice: Diction and internal dialogue, Foreshadowing	This phrase portrays an internal conversation the narrator is having with himself. “Muttering” makes it seem as though he is talking in a hushed voice, which gives a creepy feel, and he is trying to reassure himself that nothing more is going on. This hints that, actually, there is something more happening.
Rewrite of stanza 1:

Once upon a time on a dark and spooky night,

I read a long lost story that gave me such a fright

Then all of a sudden, I heard knocking, oh so very light

Soft and gentle, the sound did travel, with nobody in sight

Just some visitor, no need to worry

It’s nothing at all, no need to hurry

***Your group will complete the same task for Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, by Dylan Thomas, found on page 679 in the purple textbooks. Each group will be assigned 2 stanzas to work on. Presentations will begin Wednesday at the beginning of class.

Vocab Test Reminder

Vocabulary test is Wednesday as well. Know your words!!!

Social Issues Poem

http://themetapicture.com/if-this-video-doesnt-convince-you/   Technology Spoken Word Video

“3x5” by: John Mayer

I’m writing to you to

Catch you up on the places I’ve been

You held this letter

Probably got excited, but there’s nothing else inside it

Didn’t have my camera by my side this time

Hoping I would see the world with both my eyes

Maybe I will tell you all about it when I’m

In the mood to lose my way with words

Today the skies are painted colors of a cowboy cliché

And strange how clouds that look like mountains in the sky

Are next to mountains anyway

Didn’t have my camera by my side this time

Hoping I would see the world with both my eyes

Maybe I will tell you all about it when I’m

In the mood to lose my way with words

But let me say

You should have seen the sunrise with your own eyes

It brought me back to life

You’ll be with me next time I go outside

Just no more 3x5’s

Guess you had to be there

Guess you had to be with me

Today, I finally overcame tryin’ to fit the world inside a picture frame

Maybe I will tell you all about it when I’m in the mood

To lose my way, but let me say

You should have seen the sunrise with your own eyes

It brought me back to life

You’ll be with me next time I go outside

No more 3x5’s

Just no more 3x5’s

**Notice how both the video and the lyrics to the song deal with a similar social issue: the obsessive use of technology and forgetting to live life. Both have extensive uses of metaphor, rhyme, imagery, puns, personification, etc. Use these as examples as you write your own.

**Your Original Poem:

-Free Verse Poem about a social or world issue of your choice

-30 lines: minimum of 5 words per line

-You must include examples of:

-Metaphor, simile, internal rhyme, pun/personification, imagery, and alliteration

-It must be original and well written.

-It will be peer edited and revised.

-Due: Wednesday at the beginning of class