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Dylan Thomas reads “Do Not Go Gentle…”

Posted in Poetry by Elliott Back on October 6th, 2005. [Del.icio.us]

The Academy of American Poets has released this audio clip of Dylan Thomas’s reading of his own famous poem, “Do not go gentle into that good night.” It’s not an mp3 you can download, but you can listen to this beautiful villanelle in the flash player!

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.

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7 Responses to 'Dylan Thomas reads “Do Not Go Gentle…”'

  1. sassy said:

    on October 24th, 2006 at 5:34 pm

    who is dieing ? sorry dont want to use real nam e

  2. Ken said:

    on October 31st, 2006 at 9:04 am

    His Father

  3. Templar0123 said:

    on November 29th, 2006 at 6:01 pm

    Sourful story, which tells a son’s desperately persuastion for his father to not to surrender to the death like all kinds men do. It conveys his passionate love for his father.

    I do have a question though.
    Why do famous poets like Edgar Allen Poe so alcoholic?
    Note: Dylan Thomas was alcoholic himself.

  4. swebb said:

    on January 13th, 2007 at 2:27 pm

    it can be impossible to put into words the feeling of letting a loved on leave.
    this poem has done it.

  5. exsmoker said:

    on September 26th, 2007 at 4:18 pm

    Hello All,

    I was reading around some of the posts here and I found interesting things that you guys talk about, I just made a blog about quitting smoking resources and ideas that you might want to check out.
    If someone is interested in this topic just go to; endthehabitnow.blogspot.com and let me know what you think.
    Thanks in advance.

  6. poegirl said:

    on November 13th, 2007 at 10:24 am

    answer to Templar 0123, misuse of alcohol is a sign of emotional disturbance that can be managed by learning to replace purposeful action with emotional response, and/or an alkaline diet. Emotions deep be wrought from tears, and wisely sayings vent their fears. So to the bottle they do go, to quench the pain of earthly woe And hence they wake to suffer sure, they seek the bottle more and more. Go to innerlight.com/Tami for more info

  7. poegirl said:

    on November 13th, 2007 at 12:14 pm

    correction! emotional response with purposeful action. innerlightinc.com/tami

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