Introduction
As well as the theme of love, the theme of life and death is frequently preferred by many poets for their great works. The main challenge is the impossibility to avoid death or prolong life, and authors try to find out additional ways to calm down, motivate, and support the reader. In this paper, attention will be paid to the two poems written by different authors and in different centuries but united by a common theme and several strong literary devices. Dylan Thomas wrote “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” for his dying father in 1946, and Walt Whitman created “O Captain! My Captain!” to share his sorrow about Abraham Lincoln’s death in 1865. The analysis of similarities and differences of the chosen poems promotes an understanding of how people saw and accepted death in the past and if there are any changes in the present. Thomas and Whitman properly used metaphors, repetitions, and alliteration, but compared to “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” with its aggressive and defiant tone, “O Captain! My Captain!” has a respectful, melancholic tone.
Themes and Tones in Poems
Among a variety of existing problems and challenges in human life, death turns out to be the most terrifying but usually expected and unstoppable issue. People demonstrate different attitudes toward the process of dying, trying to postpone it, explain feelings, or find a reason. There are many poems about death written in different periods, and authors offer multiple approaches of how to cope with grief and accept reality. In his poem, Thomas represents his feelings about the upcoming death of his father and uses an aggressive and rebellious tone to prove that it is time “not go gentle into that good night” (266). In comparison, the tragedy has already happened in Whitman’s poem, and “Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead” (173). Therefore, in both cases, death is the only outcome, and the task of the authors is to provide meaning to this event.
After reading the chosen poems, it is wrong to think about death as something bad only. Although it is hard to cope with a feeling of loss and unwanted changes, Whitman and Thomas show the reader hope and support. Thomas underlines that “wise men at their end know dark is right” (266). It means that, with age, people understand the inevitability of death and get ready to go, believing they could find a better world. As the son of the father who is dying, Thomas seems to be angry with his father because he is “on the sad height” and has to bless the child with his “fierce tears” (266). In contrast, Whitman stays “with mournful tread” because his father “has no pulse or will” (173). He sees that nothing could be changed, but “the prize… is won,” and “the swaying mass” is glad to meet the father with “bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths” (Whitman 173). Instead of being obsessed with losing a person, the author suggests remembering the achievements and contributions with a note of respect and melancholy.
Literary Devices
In poetry, the use of literary devices is a common thing because it is one of the obvious ways to introduce and develop a serious theme within a limited number of lines. Some authors prefer to use as many stylistic techniques and forms as possible to enhance inspiration and imagination. There are also poems with a few metaphors or symbols, but they successfully prove strengths and proficiency. In Whitman’s and Thomas’s poems, the reader could find several valuable metaphors that depict the balance between life and death. In addition, the authors use alliteration to underline the importance of a particular line and its message. However, compared to a variety of symbols with the help of which Thomas describes the emotions connected to death, Whitman focuses on images to visualize death. The line between abstract and physical visions of death in these poems may be explained by the relationships between the authors and their addressees (a beloved father for Thomas, and a respected leader for Whitman).
Similarities
The most evident examples of metaphors in “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” and “O Captain! My Captain!” is related to the image of death. Thomas uses “lightning” for human life and “good night” for death (266). In Whitman’s work, “fearful trip” represents life, and “fallen cold” is applied for death (173). However, regarding the fact that Thomas shares a more personal situation, he improves the interpretation of death as “close of the day” or “the sun in flight,” explaining his resistance to the coming event (266). Whilst Whitman concentrates on a person, Abraham Lincoln, calling his “Captain” or “father” (173). In these poems, metaphors aim at providing meaning to losing a person with the help of the words that are familiar to the readers who could be lucky not to face death in their life. Thomas’s metaphors are full of anger and rage because he does not want his father to be dead so soon, and Whitman’s metaphors serve to appreciate the leader and perpetuate his actions.
In addition to rhyming the words in their poems, the authors define alliteration as a powerful means to focus on their attitudes toward death and dying people. Thomas wants to create some positive images about death to calm himself down and find peace when his father has to “go gentle into that good night” (263). The alliteration of “f” (“flag is flung”) and “s” (safe and sound”) indicates hesitation about the death of Captain (Whitman 173). On the one hand, he is furious that the leader has gone; on the other hand, he admires the attempts to improve the quality of life and free society.
Differences
At the same time, the sense of flow in the poems is different because of the intentions of the authors to apply various literary techniques. Abstract symbolism is inherent to Thomas’s poem, and physical imagery is observed in Whitman’s work. It is too personal for Thomas to describe death because it is he who is going to lose his beloved father. He repeats “rage” many times as a symbol of unwanted loss, mentions “frail deeds” like the impossibility to resist the inevitability, and uses “green” colors as a sign of envy (Thomas 266). This form of artistic expression does not allow one to realize how death looks, but the reader is free to feel the author’s pain and anger. According to Thomas, people must resist death and remember the beauty of life until it is “too late” (266). This poem reveals how the members of the same family could develop different attitudes to the end of life and what conflicts, either internal or external, penetrate human relationships.
Whitman’s poem may be considered as an excellent opportunity to expand an understanding of death because the author creates several death images. There is “my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead,” he “does not answer,” and “his lips are pale and still” (Whitman 173). With the help of these words, it becomes possible to visualize death and imagine a picture of a dead man, who lies on the deck, breathlessly and without movement. In addition, there are “bleeding drops of red,” and attention to this color symbolizes pain that was connected to death and is now connected to the grief of loss (Whitman 173). Using this poem, it is possible to see how death approaches and takes a person from this world, leaving the best memories and tears only.
Conclusion
In general, the analysis of “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” and “O Captain! My Captain!” shows how insidious and terrifying death could be. However, in the majority of cases, people get themselves prepared for it and realize that nothing can be done to avoid or postpone it. Whitman and Thomas experience death in different ways: the former shares his grief about losing a leader who did many good things, and the latter rages about the impossibility to save his father. The faces of death vary, which is proved by the differences in Whitman’s and Thomas’s styles and tones, but its essence remains the same, which is shown through the poems’ lines and appropriate metaphors. Ultimately, death brings certain changes to human lives, and it is an individual responsibility to accept and live with it. The authors share their visions and attitudes toward this type of loss, and their approaches contribute to a better understanding of death, life, and the moment when these concepts approach each other.
Works Cited
Thomas, Dylan. “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night.” The Harbrace Anthology of Poetry, edited by Jon C. Stott and Raymond E. Jones, 5th ed., Nelson Education, 2011, pp. 266-267.
Whitman, Walt. “O Captain! My Captain!” The Harbrace Anthology of Poetry, edited by Jon C. Stott and Raymond E. Jones, 5th ed., Nelson Education, 2011, p. 173.