Do not go gentle into that good night, by Dylan Thomas

Fifty-five years ago today, the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas died of an alcohol overdose. Even if the name of the hard-drinking poet doesn’t ring a bell to you, I’m sure you’ve heard of one of his most famous poems, Do not go gentle into that good night.

Dylan wrote the poem watching his father, formely in the Army, grow weak and frail with old age:

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.

The Academy of American Poets has a recording of the reading of the poem: Link | If the words from the poem sound vaguely familiar to you, it may be because you’ve ran across its many pop culture references (as listed in Wikipedia )