Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

     For my Poetry Out Loud selection, I chose, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night," by Dylan Thomas. This poem compares the concept of death to "... that good night," and "...the dying of the light." Thomas, through the voice of "wise men" says that "...at their end, dark is right." This poem is similar to "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening," by Robert Frost, in that it portrays death as a welcome rest after what has been a long and tiring day. Where the themes of the two poems split is in the last stanza, where Thomas describes a father figure on his death bed, and says "...I pray, do not go gentle into that good night, rage, rage against the dying of the light." I understand this to mean that it can be easy to think of death as welcome rest when it isn't relevant to our own lives, but when death threatens someone we are close to, we pray they don't go gentle into that good night.
     When reading this poem aloud, I plan on using as much contrast as I can in my voice to convey meaning. I have been practicing using anger in my voice to convey the rage of the men on their death beds; additionally, I have been trying to incorporate a sorrowful tone of voice and facial expressions to convey the poems somber tone. I think it is important to portray the sadness and anger of those facing their inescapable demise, as well as the somber tone of the speaker as he addresses his dying father.