ANALYSIS OF SYMBOLS AND FIGURATIVE

LANGUAGE TO REVEAL THE THEME_DO NOT GO

GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT BY DYLAN

THOMAS

PAPER

Submit to fulfill one of an assignment of Survey of Modern

British Literary that guided by Mr. Danny Purwanto

Analyzed by:

Santi Ramdhani

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

ISLAMIC STATE UNIVERSITY

SUNAN GUNUNG DJATI

BANDUNG

2011

ANALYSIS SYMBOL AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE TO

REVEAL THE THEME:

DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD

NIGHT_DYLAN THOMAS

Analyzed by: Santi Ramdhani

Theme is the main thing that we should know first when we

want to analyze a poet. One of the aims of the author will

flash into the theme. Theme always becomes a major

question from literary works. The major advantage if we

analyze a theme is we will know whole the content of the

works. Though, to analyze it is not easy. We need great

understanding in poet as an intrinsic and extrinsic side.

Theme included in intrinsic side in description about poet.

Finding the main theme, we must have clearly meaning

about theme itself. Theme is general main idea that

sustains a literary work in the text as a semantic structure

and related the equation and the difference (Hartoko &

Rahmanto, 1986: 142). Theme must be concluding on

whole story, not only a part of the story but also all of it.

Though it is difficult to reveal, theme is not a ‘hidden’

meaning, even though it is not necessarily explicitly

describe (Nurgiyantoro, 2010: 63).

Theme as a main meaning literary work is not

‘intentionally’ hidden; actually this is the one which is

offered to reader. But, theme is a whole that is supported

by a story; by itself it will be hidden behind the story which

supports it. Theme is divided into two part, those are main

theme and adding theme. Main theme is a main idea of

whole story. While adding theme just found in particular

parts (Nurgiyantoro, 2010: 83)

One of ways to analyze theme in a poet easily is we have to

know or we have to find the key words. Key word sometime

became a gate to open the secret meaning of what truly the

poet tells about. Traditionally theme means a recurrent

element of subject matter, but the modern insistence on

simultaneous reference to form and content emphasizes the

formal dimension of the term. A theme is always subject,

but a subject is not always a theme: a theme is not usually

thought of as the occasion of a work of art, but rather a

branch of the subject which is indirectly expressed through

the recurrence of certain events, images or symbols (Peter

Childs & Roger Fawler, 1973: 239). From this statement we

know that theme also have to reveal by symbols. As I said

before that if we want to know theme of story we have to

get a key word of it. Key word and symbols could be

correlated each others.

According to Abrams, symbol is anything which signifies

something; in this sense all words are symbols. In

discussing literature, however, the term "symbol" is

applied only to a word or phrase that signifies an object

or event which in its turn signifies something, or has a

range of reference, beyond it. Some symbols are

"conventional" or "public": thus "the Cross," "the Red,

White, and Blue," and "the Good Shepherd" are terms

that refer to symbolic objects of which the further

significance is determinate within a particular culture.

Poets, like all of us, use such conventional symbols; many

poets, however, also use "private" or "personal symbols."

(M.H. Abrams, 1999: 311)

Abrams reflects the use of symbols in literature, one of

which is poetry. He said that most of author use private or

personal symbol to share their feeling. Some poets,

however, repeatedly use symbols whose significance they

largely generate themselves, and these pose a more

difficult problem in interpretation.

As well as in Dylan Thomas’s poet ‘Do not Go Gentle into

that Good Night’, we can analyze theme from its symbols

and figurative language. The first we can start with

analysis of symbols to know the meaning. What this poet is

talking about? From viewpoint of the symbol, the words

‘gentle’, ‘good night’, ‘close of day’, ‘rage’, ‘light’, ‘wise

man’, ‘dying’, ‘good man’, ‘frail’, ‘green bay’, ‘wild man’,

‘grave man’, ‘blinding sight’, ‘meteors’, ‘curse’, and ‘pray’

could categorize as key words to understanding Dylan’s

poet.

After read the title and the first stanza of the poet, we can

see the words ‘gentle’ and ‘good night’ in ‘Do not go gentle

into that good night’. What does it means? What the

meaning of those words? That sentence is repeated four

times. It means that the author want to emphasize

something from that sentence. He emphasizes to fight

death as much as possible and keep live. The word ‘gentle’

in ‘Do not go gentle’ means that do not accept such

resignedly by. This is what Dylan wants to his father that

people must be struggle in every side of life included of

death. And a word which becomes a key word of all is ‘good

night’. Good night in this sentence is not real meaning. It is

not mean happiness or joyful but it is mean ‘death’ itself.

Dylan describes the death with euphemism style. As if, he

describes that death must be something which is so

beautiful. But he emphasize that all of it has to live with

struggle. Sometimes we must fight the death as a way to

survive. Then ‘close of day’ has meaning as day of death is

getting closer. Supported in sentence ‘Old age should burn

and rage at close of day’ that Dylan was mad to his father

because of he is too submissive facing death. It is also

described clearly with word ‘rage’ that means anger. In

this case, Dylan wants us have same feeling and same

action with him. ‘Rage, Rage against the dying of the light’.

Rage shows us how Dylan so mad of the condition at that

time. Then ‘light’ in that sentence means as if Thomas’s

father is in verge of dying. Then, Dylan’s father describes

as ‘wise men’. The word ‘wise men’ in ‘though wise men at

their end know dark are right’ show the character of his

father in which any wise man would undergo the death.

Whatever it shape, style, and character, all of it will burn in

one word that is ‘the death’. Then, word ‘dying’ is a

representation of his father who was death. From that word

we know that the process of death is not easy. In which we

know the word ‘dying’ in truly meaning is a reflection of

‘pain’. May be that is which Dylan’s father felt, so he gave

up to the death. And it makes Dylan so mad. The next is

‘Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright’. There is

word ‘good man’. What is the meaning of it? After before

we had explained ‘wise man’ and now, Dylan make us

thinking to guess what the purpose is. Actually in this

poetry, Dylan used four words that can be compared each

other in the meaning. Those are ‘wise man’, ‘good man’,

‘wild man’ and ‘grave man’. From those words, Dylan

seems to want to ask us to look the death from different

point of view. And he asked us to compare between wise

man, good man, wild man, and grave man. Actually this

comparison is not important. It is because if look it from

general perspective that all of them will die though they

fight the death as strong as they can. And ‘good man’ is one

of the comparisons. It is also the depiction of Dylan’s father

character. In addition ‘Their frail deeds might have danced

in a green bay’ means that if someone trapped in this

condition ‘the death’ they deed is frail same with nothing

flash anything. We can not change it because we did not

have a power. And from this meaning also I conclude that

in other side, Dylan Thomas believe in God. And the place

‘green bay’ may be it representative of the place where

somebody will undergo after the death. Next is word ‘wild

man’ that also can be categorized as key symbol. Why? The

word, ‘wild man’ representative of strong man or strong

people but they also do not have power to destroy the

death attack. It is proven with they just could sing a song

underneath the sun. And for the forth word ‘grave man’

that means as a man who really close with the death or

may be can call it the dead. The word ‘grave man’ becomes

a proof that Dylan’s father was already dead. Or it is the

final fight of a man. Anybody in the world will be a grave

man. Furthermore it is complete with ‘grave man, near

death, who sees with blinding sight’. ‘Blinding sight’ means

that he was no longer concerned portrayed with word

‘blinding sight’. He could not see anything without the

death. While the word ‘meteors’ is a symbol of power. It is

emphasizing of previous word, ‘blind eyes’ which means as

powerlessness of something which is finally surrender to

the fate. And here clearly illustrated that Dylan wants make

his father to have a spirit to face the death like a meteors

which is hurtling full of strength. And the word ‘curse’ in

‘Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray’ means

that once again Dylan show his unhappiness of father’s

death. For the last is symbol of word ‘pray’. What the

meaning of it? If we consider the sentence, we look on the

previous word ‘curse’ opposite meaning or opposite

interpretation with ‘pray’. This word ‘pray’ here means as a

symbol of religiosity.

After we analyze the symbols in this poet, at least we have

known what this poet is talking about. We can guess the

theme and we know the purpose of making this poetry. We

can not conclude it now because there is still one point that

we should have to analyze. From the second point,

‘figurative language’, our understanding supposed to be

more increases about this case in this poet. We will classify

the forms of figurative language that is available in this

poet.

According to Abrams, figurative language is a

conspicuous departure from what users of a

language apprehend as the standard meaning of

words, or else the standard order of words, in order

to achieve some special meaning or effect. Figures

are sometimes described as primarily poetic, but

they are integral to the functioning of language and

indispensable to all modes of discourse (M.H.

Abrams, 1999: 96).

Figurative language is used to use in writing a poem. The

goal is to make it more interesting and it is not easy to

guess the contents. In addition using figurative language is

intended to make it more attractive. It is also often used to

hide the meaning inside. An author is impossible if he or

she write their purpose directly. What is the aim of writing

that poet? The author did not explain it directly in body

poem. That’s why analysis of figurative language is also

considered as one of the way to reveal the theme or the

meaning generally.

In Dylan’s ‘Do not Go Gentle into that Good Night’, there

are some figurative languages that could we analyze. We

started from the first stanza,

Do not go gentle into that good night, 

Old age should burn and rage at close of day; 

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

In the first line ‘good night’ is a symbol of metaphor.

Metaphor is a word or a phrase which establishes a

comparison or analogy between one object or idea and

another (Adrian Bread, 2003: 88). It is clear that the word

‘good night’’ called as metaphor because it is a comparison

or analogy of ‘the death’ as I said before in symbol’s

analysis. If we examine deeply, we will get the connection

between symbols and metaphor. Both of it have a

connection to support each other. Metaphor has known as

style of comparison indirectly. To explain indirectness of it,

metaphor needs symbols. Not like simile which is direct to

compare something to object, just put words ‘like, as same

as, such as, etc’. Dylan compares ‘good night’ with ‘the

death’. It is aimed to show how the death is so special with

the word ‘good night’. It is also aimed to hide the real

meaning. The author did not want their poet is classified

easily. “Old age should burn and rage” in line two is a

combination of metonymy and personification. Metonymy

involves replacing the name of something with something

that is connected to it, without being the whole thing. For

example the President of the United States, his government

and advisors are sometimes replaced by the much simpler

term ‘The White House’, which is the presidential residence

and administrative centre (Adrian Bread, 2003: 88). So it is

with the word ‘Old age’ is a metonymy from the old man or

Dylan’s father. Personification contained in ‘Old age should

burn and rage’. ‘Old age’ is a real meaning as a noun. But

in that sentence it as if alive like human, they burn and

rage. That is the point of personification. “Close of day” is

a metaphor also. Same with ‘good night’, ‘close of day’ also

means as ‘the death“. So, the meaning of second line

becomes ‘He (Dylan’s expect to his father) must be fought

to against the death. ‘Burn’ in that same line is

used metaphorically, as is “dark” in line four.

Metaphorically means as a way to compare something or a

way to reflect a metaphor. And also ‘Rage, rage against the

dying of the light’ is a metaphor. The comparison is

situated in ‘dying of the light’. This metaphor means as ‘the

moments of death’. And Dylan asked to against it with rage.

The death should not be waited but it must be fought.

In the second stanza,

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

The words ‘their words had forked no lightning’ means as

metaphorically. The sign of it contained in word ‘had

forked’. That sentence signifies as the people who face the

death can not speak anything. Their words become

nothing. And in the next line, sentence ‘Do not go gentle

into that good night’ always repeated almost stanza. This is

the emphasizing of rejection to the death.

In third stanza,

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

In line three, ‘Their frail deeds might have danced in a

green bay’ is the combination of personification and

metaphor. Personification is an ontological metaphor in

which a thing or abstraction is represented as a person

(Wikipedia). This is marked by the word ‘danced’. Dancing

is an attractive activity that can not do by frail deeds. So, it

is so impossible and that’s why it involved as

personification. And in metaphor is signed by ‘a green bay’.

‘A green bay’ means as a place where somebody will

undergo after the death. It has been explained in symbols

in which ‘a green bay’ describes as beautiful and peaceful

place. May be this sentence means powerlessness of person

in facing a death and in his mind he was just expecting a

beautiful ending.

The next stanza,

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

In the first line, ‘wild men who caught and sang the sun in

flight’ there are exaggeration and metaphor. ‘Sang the sun

in flight’ is a sign of exaggeration figurative language. This

means that Dylan really has concern of this case. One of

the reasons why he put this figurative language is may be

he want to show us (the reader) that what the people feel if

they are in that condition (moments of death). And that’s

also felt by his father. Surrender, powerless, and only could

waiting. That’s something which wants Dylan’s show to us.

And actually he is so hate to that condition. And ‘wild men’

in that sentence is a metaphor. As I said before that ‘wild

men’ also becomes a symbol of strong people. Symbols and

metaphor have a mutuality relationship. So, they can not

dispread each other. Symbols always in metaphor, and

metaphor always use a symbols. Then the second line,

‘...they grieved it on its way’ is also exaggerating and

metaphor style. Dylan use the word to show mourning with

the word ‘grieved’ which is so exaggerating. May be it is

really his true exaggerating feeling. And the word ‘grieved’

itself is a metaphor from ‘mourning’.

In the next stanza, there are also exaggerating and

metaphor.

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

In the first line, there is words ‘grave’ and ‘blinding sight’.

First, ‘grave’ is a pun. Refer to Oxford Concise Dictionary;

pun is a joke exploiting the different meanings of a word or

the fact that there are words of the same sound and

different meanings. In this part, the word ‘grave’ has

different meaning from the truth. ‘Grave’, we can called is

as a joke, or may be can classified as satire. Satire can be

described as the literary art of diminishing or derogating a

subject by making it ridiculous and evoking toward it

attitudes of amusement, contempt, scorn, or indignation

(Abrams, 1999: 275). The word ‘grave’ in ‘grave men’ also

has a meaning of person who really wants to die. Dylan

may be wanted to mock that person as an expression of

displeasure. Second, the word ‘blinding sight’ is an

oxymoron. Based on Oxford Concise Dictionary, oxymoron

is a figure of speech or expressed idea in which apparently

contradictory terms appear in conjunction. It means that

‘blinding sight’ is not a truth meaning that somebody can

not see with their eyes or someone who just can see with

one eye. It is not. ‘Blinding sight’ means a sign that the

people already have not a spirit to face the problems. In

this case, it is a death. And second line, ‘Blind eyes could

blaze like meteors and be gay’ there is a simile style. While

metaphor is a dramatic, absolute and intuited identification

of two phenomena, simile is a comparison, discursive,

tentative, in which the ‘like’ or ‘as . . . as’ suggests, from

the viewpoint of reason, separateness of the compared

items (Peter Child and Roger Fowler, 1973: 218). It is

clearly seen from that sentence. The characteristic of simile

is always using words ‘like, such as, as same as, etc’. And

here you can see that Dylan put the words ‘blind eyes could

blaze like meteors’. And the meaning is Dylan want to tell

us that how weak us, we must keep struggling and trying

as a power of meteor.

Finally in the last stanza,

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.

For the last figurative language, in the last stanza line two,

there is a paradox style which is used by Dylan. ‘Curse,

bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray’ is real paradox.

According to Abrams, paradox is a statement which seems

on its face to be logically contradictory or absurd, yet turns

out to be interpretable in a way that makes good sense

(Abrams, 1999: 201). We can see it clearly that there are

two words that contradict each other. Those are ‘curse’ and

‘pray’. Those words have contradictory meaning. As

explained by Peter and Fowler, paradox is an apparently

self-contradictory statement, though one which is

essentially true. Two examples of paradox may help to

demonstrate its special significance in modern thought

(Peter Child and Roger Fowler, 1973: 166). As a simple, an

author reflects the contradictory feeling. In one side, he felt

so upset with all the condition that happen to his father.

And the other side, he also give a pray to his father.

Because whatever Dylan wants and he does, he can not

change the destiny. It was truly happen.

After all explanation about symbols and figurative language

that contained in ‘Do not Go Gentle into that Good Night’,

we can guess what the truly theme of it. The general theme

is about ‘the death’. But the adding theme is ‘a fighting to

the death’. It is clear enough from the symbols and

metaphor style explanation. And also the others that

support this message of the poem. Finally, we can say that

this poetry is a form of resistance of the death. In this case

is his father ‘Dylan’s father’.

Reference:

M.H. Abrams. 1999. A Glossary of Literary Term. United

States of America: Heinle & Heinle

Child, Peter & Roger Fawler. 1973. The Routledge

Dictionary of Literary Terms. United States of America:

Routldge

Bread, Andrian. 2003. The Language of Literature. United

States of America: Routledge

Nurgiyantoro, Burhan. 2010. Teori Pengkajian Fiksi.

Yogyakarta: Gadjah Mada University Press

http://suite101.com_Linda Sue Grimes. Published in

November 20, 2006

http: //dylan thomas_villanelle.htm_Adam Alonzi in

November 30, 2009

http://wikipedia.com