I just passed my 90th birthday and I'm sure as hell not going gentle in that good night. When I'm feeling sorry for myself, I recite the first part and I, indeed, rage against the dying of the light. Those words put fire in my belly to face another day with fresh resolve.
I read this at my Dad's funeral in 2015 (eulogies weren't allowed in this particular Catholic diocese) because it completely summed him up. He spent his whole life burning and raving and did not go gentle, ever!
My father had this on a vinyl record. When I left home, I took it with me. He didn't mind or miss it, for despite being born and raised in Wales (Llanidloes), he isn't a huge fan of Thomas. "A Child's Christmas In Wales" he loved, and this one of course, but not much else.
Being from Wales during what was a very peak time of coal mining, it'd be no surprise if he grew up in a mining village and was part of the village choir.
@@LlibertarianGalt Not a mining village more a fishing 'village'. Swansea or more accurately The Uplands. The accent is much nicer than the harsh Rhondda ( coal mining part of Wales ) accent. Read or listen to his work Under Milk Wood.
I'm going through some things right now, both physically, and as a consequence, mentally. But even when things are just getting worse, I suddenly remembered this poem right now. I'm glad I searched it up, because even as my pain worsens and there's no good end in sight, it reminds me that I don't have to just give up on life. It's not futile, and it's not foolish. No matter how much time any of us have left, we can all garner inspiration from this wonderful piece, and we can all come to the realization that we don't have to go gentle into that goodnight, and that we can rage against the dying of the light. If life gives us a curveball, we don't have to just take it as it is. I'm typing this, you're reading this, because we're still here, and we can make sure we're the ones controlling the quality of our short lives. Why have self-pity and spend days at a time in bed when I could take the time I still have and live a little? Maybe nothing too extravagant because of how much I make, but just maybe I can do the things I've been wanting to do but haven't. Spend time on the road, finally visit a beach, or go to Olive Garden (okay, I never did much, but the little things are what get me most excited). I don't know, but I feel like now I can see some reasons to get out of bed on my days off, maybe take out lots of PTO. I just don't want to be remembered as the one who was too busy at work to take better self-care of himself
My grandfather , who raised me , was so full of life as he died , he was so full of potent life , and I read this poem all the time to reconnect to him , who captured that essence of passion so well. But it’s a sad thing to see someone so alive to be dying
Your feelings for your Grandfather makes him bigger; stronger & keeps him with you & with us. You are so worthy of our love & respect for sharing him with us. Thank you. ❤🎉🎉
I love all the good vibes in this comment section, it gives me hope. I may have never met you, but I love you all. Life is so beautiful, even if it's a tragedy. The most sacred gift. I'll be damned if I don't go out fighting.
I have always loved this poem since we studied Dylan Thomas in English Literature at school. This is the first time I have heard it read by the man himself. He had a wonderful voice.
I was introduced to this great poem and poet in my teens by an inspired and inspiring teacher. I'm 70 now and Irish. She also brought me to the WWI poets and many more - including Yeats, of course. Thank you, Dylan Thomas, you are the pride of Wales, I'm sure.
I confess that I did not know this poem before today, despite being Welsh myself. I heard it in the movie Interstellar that I'm watching and had to seek the entire poem. It brought tears to my eyes, and what a treasure to be able to hear it read aloud by Dylan himself.
I love this! Only he knows the depth and passion these words came from. No one else could ever do it justice. His Poem. His Words. His Voice - read, spoken as only he could. Perfect!
Isabelle Smith Exactly! I completely agree! To say someone could do it better is to say his words, his thoughts his feelings belong to someone else. He read it exactly how it is supposed to be read. Some people obvioulsy do not grasp his accent, which brings it more deapth. Perfection! My favorite too!
I knew and thought I appreciated this poem as a teenager when I first read it but to truly appreciate and understand it, it took facing my father's passing.
There is absolutely NOTHING Welsh about his voice. Not a trace of a Welsh accent. Judging by his voice, he could have been born and bred in a middle-class family in southeast England.
@@DieFlabbergast You clearly do not have a single clue of what you're talking about... He's a Welshman with a Welsh accent.... YOU.may not recognise it, . But that's your issue......A lovely West Walian accent...
I'm 75 and one of my great regrets is not getting to really know my father. Sharing a glass of whiskey and having a heart to heart. He died suddenly at the age of 50. May 15th 1969. I live alone and have very little contact with my children. But I persevere knowing that life is a gift that must be cherished.
My father is just a little older than you. He is in another country. We are not very close but I need to make effort to spend with him and my mother also (who is 10 yrs younger).
The first time I heard this poem was in a Rodney Dangerfield movie. Still, so moved I followed it to author and opened a door to Dylan Thomas. To hear the poet grieve in such a way gives me courage to meet my own end. Wonderful recording.
Hunter S. Thompson said something similar: Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride! " Hunter S. Thompson
Not going to lie I found this poem in the matched series of books about four years ago and since then I have been obsessed with this poem. I love how everything flows together and the grand meaning behind it
To me this poem is all about realizing that one's potential has not been reached. At the end of life, realizing that life is fleeting and once nearing its ending that there really is not enough time to squander, if wanting to achieve. I believe that one really has to be satisfied with one's achievements and be proud that one actually achieved anything! I remember reading something that Nietzsche remarked upon...I'm gonna paraphrase...that there are millions of geniuses... but those that are known to us are known because they grasped their moment in time and fulfilled a potential. Now, I don't know if that is actually the case, but it sure is an interesting statement. And this sure is a beautifully sad poem. "And you, my Father, there on the sad heights..curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray..." A beautiful oxymoron only Shakespeare is comparable to...Just my opinion...
One of the great masterpieces of all time read by the genius who wrote it, what a treat! But I won't rage against the dimming of the light, just thank God for the good & wonderful things of life
it was a poem about his father , woman be known to his father had just been diagnosed by a doctor with terminal cancer . Dylan Thomas always read his poem to his father as soon as he wrote them, except for this one because no one wanted to tell the father that he was dying of cancer
I would love to hear Michael Caine recite the whole poem! "Rage against the dying of the light." Has become one of my all-time favorite sentences now. Holy fuck can language be intense and amazing sometimes!
martin gormley Yes, I know it's Thomas's poem, but hearing Michael Caine recite part of it in the Interstellar movie trailer was really awesome, he has a great voice. There's nothing wrong with hearing a poem reinterpreted by another speaker :)
Like all great works of art it has many meanings on many different levels; yes, it is about an old man dying, but it adapts itself to each listener's own experiences; it can even be interpreted on a political level.
According to at friend of mine, the theme of the poem is his father's impending blindness. (D.T. himszelf pointed out that.) But of course it has levels beyond that.
Very good point! A good poem appears to me as a very exact description that can take on many meanings, because its true in its specificity! The unity of the Universe and all that, you know..
That is NOT a Welsh accent; not in any shape or form. It's a mid-20th-century, middle-class English accent. Thomas was a Welshman by birth and upbringing, but Welsh culture plays little part in his work.
The quiet reading, I gather a greater power than some shouting of the words. Measured words, they Rage against the dying of the light. I have heard these words spoken at 6 am in a damp Philadelphia morning, my wife still snoring. Rage.... Against the dying of the Light. Amen.
Jim Hart I like the mention of a higher power. Makes sense to me. He is warning us not to mess up and waste life. Whilst comforting us that there is also a unifying force. The force is us and how we are similar and prone to similar thoughts.
@Colin Whyles Yes, thank you, this is a poem (literally) about his father's blindness. It may also be a possible launching point of departure into further inquiry... into my own blindness. To me it's a gentle tap on the shoulder, or fiery kick in the seat, as the need may be, to WAKE UP and seize the day/moment/life... whatever that may mean to each of us. This pandemic-pause has been provoking me to reflect and act on this.
I spent an afternoon with a lady who was his friend when he was in Laugharne, just days before she died. Wonderful to hear her talk of him. Her memories pure poetry.
why? it is nonsense written by someone who drank himself to death at age 39 have you *seen* old men raging against the coming of the night?! how about a little serenity.
sexygrandpa That was awesome, thanks for that recommendation! :) I would also recommend listening to this with New Order's Your Silent Face instrumental part. Adds a little bit of electronica to it.
I read this and many of his poems in 67-68 still have these books and remember this one as one of my favourites. I will rage against the dying of the light!
Thank you for posting - fascinating to hear the voice of the poet himself, speaking to us (as it were) from the grave! Also very interesting to hear how he meant it to sound. Above all, most amusing to read how het up people still get over the man and his work, the dos and don'ts of poetry, as well as "how things should be read". Have people forgotten that poetry is all about expression? Let it be read, however the reader will; if the listener hear, let him be still. Peace out (",)
This is a profound poem it is a poem for humanity and in the final reckoning we all shall face that final goodnight Dylans reading of his own composition is masterful and adds a dimension to it
The poem is in memoriam of his late Father who died in great pain and suffering after spending his life working in the coal mines of Wales, and Dylan Thomas' anger that he never got to talk to his Father about anything of great import. It is an inspirational work intended to encourage others to talk openly with their parents before it is too late. It is also a dark warning to those who don't of the regret, guilt, anger and self loathing that they will feel as a result of not doing so. It's a quid pro quo. Not a message to the Ego.
I love it. Dylan Thomas was not only a phenomenal poet, but a beautifully accomplished poetry reader and speaker. It's one of my favorite poems, and I hope he would approve of my reading of it.
There are lyrics in the old New Orleans song Let the Good Times Roll: "You're only here once, and when you're dead, you're done, so let the good times roll." I'm still trying to work out the math in the lyric, "I've got 50 cents more than I'm gonna keep!" RIP BB KIng!
As a young dog I read Thomas' verse long before I heard him speak it and I have to say it came as a bit of a shock when I did. I was a teenager in the fifties and loved Cool Jazz, Abstract Expressionism and Girls and so imagined that such a cool oversexed poet would inevitably sound 'modern'. However, his Taffy voice and chapel vibrato seemed strangely at odds with his wonderful word-play verse and I though I enjoy his reading I was never entirely convinced he was the best man for the job.
Couldn't agree more! I've always thought there's a pompous self-regard in the voice that just doesn't sit well with the writing. I imagine this is how Henry Irving or Edmund Keane might have rendered it, had they been around at the time!
vivavinyl I've commented on this above. It is probably attributable to the class system and BBC simply not being able to tolerate anything serious not being in the accent of an Oxford Don. I think the Beatles were the first artists who did anything with serious intent who did not adopt this accent in speaking about their work. In fact I'd guess that a poet no matter how good would be ignored it he did not conform as the critical gatekeepers would feel as if they were speaking to some kind of inferior, unclean creature. It's still happening.
I've always thought that the "voice" in this recording didn't fit the man or the material, but maybe Thomas had adopted the ponderous delivery from others as being the accepted performance standard du jour. To me, it sounds flat and pompous, rather than passionate, as if read by someone unfamiliar with it. Something akin to this comes across in Churchill's droning, flat, recording of his 1940 Commons "...never surrender" speech, as if he's reading it unseen.
I just learned this wonderful poet died at 39. I wonder if it was of a broken heart from losing his father. Dads, please be strong and fight like hell to stay. Your kids need you.
one of my all time favorite poems, and this is cool because it's Dylan reading his own work....however, I must admit that my favorite version is by Rodney Dangerfield in the 1986 movie "Back to School".
As I cried watching my beloveds go for the 5th time, as I swept my tear and laughed at the good memories. I watched the beautiful scenery of the one which was made. I held my heart as I watch it end and laughed as the credits roll. I sighed with the toll being lift, I clicked the off button. And I closed my eyes as I watch the movie Interstellar grow old.
YOU THOUGHT IT WAS A SAD POEM OF A DECEASED BUT NOOOO I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE GREAT MOVIE INTERSTELLAR THAT FEATURED THIS POEM: Do not go gentle into that good night 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.
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.
Ah well. I’ve learned that I have less than a year to die. This was always my favorite poem. I promis you all, I will rage, rage, rage against the closing of the light. Greg
Greg I will pray for you to rage against it. I will pray for your health as well and pray that you know the Lord. Thank you for sharing this and you will be on my mind.
Daily routine this is becoming...it helps me start my day...I think a verse applys to everyone...wild men ...learnt to late thats me to T...lovely powerful words...in a world full of spite hatred n jelousy...poverty hunger n so on n so fourth...my grandmother is the lights dying I read it n hope theres a bit of my gran in that senile body that can hear me...if I just reach that little bit if her thsts inside that frail body that is letting her down...been a slave all her life...its a cruel world but only because of human intervention...I find this planet beautiful n what are we in comparison to a beautiful view over thr sea...thanks for posting this...sometimes you find things jyst at the right time n in my whole life I hadnt heard it somehow...his words have touched my soul
There are many studies which have charted the degeneration of English accents by region over time. Even the Queen herself has lost many of the uniquely rich pronunciations in her own speech. Thing is, they were already amazed at the loss of accents and regional dialects and refined speech patters over 100 years ago.
orionh3000 Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea in Wales, lived in Carmarthenshire, also in wales and is buried in Carmarthenshire. A famous work of his is A Child’s Christmas in Wales written shortly before he passed away. Yes he did die in New York but he was not American.
I read this at a memorial for my sister. I studied drama with Professor Thomas Taig In Cardiff school of Music and Drama. who knew Dylan Thomas personally. He believed that Dylan Thomas drank because he was so sensitive to the horrors of our word. He directed us in Under Milk Wood, I played Mrs. Ogmore Pritchard. Also in Israel our English Theatre group performed it in Haifa University
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I just passed my 90th birthday and I'm sure as hell not going gentle in that good night. When I'm feeling sorry for myself, I recite the first part and I, indeed, rage against the dying of the light. Those words put fire in my belly to face another day with fresh resolve.
What a wonderful thing to read at 33.
Good for you mate, I hope you're still here when i'm 50.
John Fisher Best of luck!
Thanks everyone. It's been a great trip and I'm so glad we all met up along the way!
Mr. John Fisher, to the front of the classroom you go!
Thank you for sharing this. I am 36 and sometimes feel like my best days are behind me.
I love that he almost sings it. Incredible performer.
Exactly. A trait the Welsh were once well known for.
SamWeller I see you are also a performer, because you are a clown.
It must be sung to be truly loved
It really does; in fact, this is on my music playlist, just cause I enjoy his enunciated and theatre voice.
Ohh fuck yeah
I read this at my Dad's funeral in 2015 (eulogies weren't allowed in this particular Catholic diocese) because it completely summed him up. He spent his whole life burning and raving and did not go gentle, ever!
How lucky are we that this recording exists? It's so gorgeous! What a treasure it is. Thank you so much for sharing
I heard this recording when I was about 19. Now I’m hearing it again at 61, and it has a hundred new resonances for me.
Gary Cooper Had you enjoyed all of your life?
My father had this on a vinyl record. When I left home, I took it with me. He didn't mind or miss it, for despite being born and raised in Wales (Llanidloes), he isn't a huge fan of Thomas. "A Child's Christmas In Wales" he loved, and this one of course, but not much else.
The beauty of being able to be born while some die and being born to die. To rage against staying longer under the light. I love Thomas
My grandma died today @ 94. She was the toughest person I've ever known. I feel like this poem is an embodiment of her battle with death.
Oh I'm sorry dude ik I'ma year late but I'm sorry for ur loss
My father tried to sound like him when he would read poetry. RIP Papa ❤️
It sounds like he's singing and it's beautiful.
Being from Wales during what was a very peak time of coal mining, it'd be no surprise if he grew up in a mining village and was part of the village choir.
I love that you hear it too.
ttlly
@@LlibertarianGalt Not a mining village more a fishing 'village'. Swansea or more accurately The Uplands. The accent is much nicer than the harsh Rhondda ( coal mining part of Wales ) accent. Read or listen to his work Under Milk Wood.
I am do glad someone was able to record this. Everyone should hear this.
Thank You.
Proud to be named Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas same here. :)
Yup
Really haha? 😂😂
My sons name
My son's first and middle names
His voice makes his poetry come alive.
I'm going through some things right now, both physically, and as a consequence, mentally. But even when things are just getting worse, I suddenly remembered this poem right now. I'm glad I searched it up, because even as my pain worsens and there's no good end in sight, it reminds me that I don't have to just give up on life. It's not futile, and it's not foolish. No matter how much time any of us have left, we can all garner inspiration from this wonderful piece, and we can all come to the realization that we don't have to go gentle into that goodnight, and that we can rage against the dying of the light. If life gives us a curveball, we don't have to just take it as it is. I'm typing this, you're reading this, because we're still here, and we can make sure we're the ones controlling the quality of our short lives. Why have self-pity and spend days at a time in bed when I could take the time I still have and live a little? Maybe nothing too extravagant because of how much I make, but just maybe I can do the things I've been wanting to do but haven't. Spend time on the road, finally visit a beach, or go to Olive Garden (okay, I never did much, but the little things are what get me most excited). I don't know, but I feel like now I can see some reasons to get out of bed on my days off, maybe take out lots of PTO. I just don't want to be remembered as the one who was too busy at work to take better self-care of himself
Damn goodluck
This is beautiful. Go to the beach. Live, live live while you still can. Sending you love.
Good luck to you and thank you for your wisdom. You are absolutely right & I will try to live by your wise words!
Reading your post tonight helped me. Thank you.
I hope this reply finds you having done some of the things you wanted to & still fighting the good fight.
One of my favourite poems 65 years ago and hearing it now it is even more important. What a beautiful voice he had. Thank you for putting that on.
My grandfather , who raised me , was so full of life as he died , he was so full of potent life , and I read this poem all the time to reconnect to him , who captured that essence of passion so well. But it’s a sad thing to see someone so alive to be dying
Your feelings for your Grandfather makes him bigger; stronger & keeps him with you & with us. You are so worthy of our love & respect for sharing him with us. Thank you. ❤🎉🎉
I love all the good vibes in this comment section, it gives me hope. I may have never met you, but I love you all. Life is so beautiful, even if it's a tragedy. The most sacred gift. I'll be damned if I don't go out fighting.
I have always loved this poem since we studied Dylan Thomas in English Literature at school. This is the first time I have heard it read by the man himself. He had a wonderful voice.
I was introduced to this great poem and poet in my teens by an inspired and inspiring teacher. I'm 70 now and Irish. She also brought me to the WWI poets and many more - including Yeats, of course. Thank you, Dylan Thomas, you are the pride of Wales, I'm sure.
Great Welsh accent, like Richard Burton.
I confess that I did not know this poem before today, despite being Welsh myself. I heard it in the movie Interstellar that I'm watching and had to seek the entire poem. It brought tears to my eyes, and what a treasure to be able to hear it read aloud by Dylan himself.
I love this! Only he knows the depth and passion these words came from. No one else could ever do it justice. His Poem. His Words. His Voice - read, spoken as only he could. Perfect!
Isabelle Smith Exactly! I completely agree! To say someone could do it better is to say his words, his thoughts his feelings belong to someone else. He read it exactly how it is supposed to be read. Some people obvioulsy do not grasp his accent, which brings it more deapth. Perfection! My favorite too!
Just like the other Dylan.
I knew and thought I appreciated this poem as a teenager when I first read it but to truly appreciate and understand it, it took facing my father's passing.
My condolences on the loss of your father.
Laurie Cloonan thank you
There is something hypnotic about his deep Welsh Voice that resonates as he reads his own written words.... Fabulous
There is absolutely NOTHING Welsh about his voice. Not a trace of a Welsh accent. Judging by his voice, he could have been born and bred in a middle-class family in southeast England.
@@DieFlabbergast You clearly do not have a single clue of what you're talking about... He's a Welshman with a Welsh accent.... YOU.may not recognise it, . But that's your issue......A lovely West Walian accent...
my father just passed away and first i thought about was dylan thomas. and he raged.
Charity Burd did it give you strength?
Condolences to you on the loss of your father. Congratulations to you for knowing a brave, strong man.
I'm 75 and one of my great regrets is not getting to really know my father. Sharing a glass of whiskey and having a heart to heart. He died suddenly at the age of 50. May 15th 1969. I live alone and have very little contact with my children. But I persevere knowing that life is a gift that must be cherished.
Well said, hope all is well!
My father is just a little older than you. He is in another country. We are not very close but I need to make effort to spend with him and my mother also (who is 10 yrs younger).
Trusting you are keeping on ~keepin on.
Blessings
With all my scars and I have a LOT, This poem has summed up my 40+ yrs.
absolutely beautiful 💐
The first time I heard this poem was in a Rodney Dangerfield movie. Still, so moved I followed it to author and opened a door to Dylan Thomas. To hear the poet grieve in such a way gives me courage to meet my own end. Wonderful recording.
You got it admit though Rodney did a great job.
Hunter S. Thompson said something similar: Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!
"
Hunter S. Thompson
How very cool of you to have remembered that.
Thompson was right
He also said, 'Dogs fucked the Pope, no fault of mine...orders from Captain Zeep!' Make of it what you will, I have no input.
I love that!!
Thompson killed himself - so he decided he was "all used up", presumably?
Not going to lie I found this poem in the matched series of books about four years ago and since then I have been obsessed with this poem. I love how everything flows together and the grand meaning behind it
Dillian thomas
@@Duncanforbeshendry No Dylan Thomas. Hope that helps.
Same here! and I find that line running through my head at random moments. I love how it's tied to that story and in a way found new life.
Yes, everybody should read the Matched series.
I think this poem has endured because it resonates with all of us, who are born to die.
we are all born to die.
we are all going to die so we should "rage" with our life force and passions whilst we can.
Death will come whether you rage or not. (Written on a cold, dark day.)
its how we embrace it
We are here to learn how to really love and live.
What a beautiful poem! Always reminds me of my father and how, in the end, he didn't rage enough at the dying of the light! Makes me weep!
To me this poem is all about realizing that one's potential has not been reached. At the end of life, realizing that life is fleeting and once nearing its ending that there really is not enough time to squander, if wanting to achieve. I believe that one really has to be satisfied with one's achievements and be proud that one actually achieved anything! I remember reading something that Nietzsche remarked upon...I'm gonna paraphrase...that there are millions of geniuses... but those that are known to us are known because they grasped their moment in time and fulfilled a potential. Now, I don't know if that is actually the case, but it sure is an interesting statement. And this sure is a beautifully sad poem. "And you, my Father, there on the sad heights..curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray..." A beautiful oxymoron only Shakespeare is comparable to...Just my opinion...
Your opinion is poetic⚘️
My daddy use to play this poem on the 45 and it put me to sleep. Thank you for this.
One of the great masterpieces of all time read by the genius who wrote it, what a treat!
But I won't rage against the dimming of the light, just thank God for the good & wonderful things of life
I can only hope that I have it in me to rage against it when the time comes.
Thanks for posting this. Dylan is my favorite poet.
the time is among us now
Don't wait. Rage daily.
When you realise this is a poem about his father who was going blind, the words take on a completely different meaning.
There is more to it then just that.
it was a poem about his father , woman be known to his father had just been diagnosed by a doctor with terminal cancer . Dylan Thomas always read his poem to his father as soon as he wrote them, except for this one because no one wanted to tell the father that he was dying of cancer
My Mom fought to the end , it was frightening. She was from that great generation.
Words are the daughters of heaven.
Things are the sons of earth.
Glad you got here at last been waiting ages for you x
I would love to hear Michael Caine recite the whole poem!
"Rage against the dying of the light." Has become one of my all-time favorite sentences now. Holy fuck can language be intense and amazing sometimes!
you do know its his poem???
martin gormley Yes, I know it's Thomas's poem, but hearing Michael Caine recite part of it in the Interstellar movie trailer was really awesome, he has a great voice. There's nothing wrong with hearing a poem reinterpreted by another speaker :)
Amazing words...
I absolutely love the poem but really, I would probably listen to Michael Caine recite the phone book.
God yes. I first read this poem last night, and thought I might even have a dream/nightmare about those words.
the young rage against the machine with all the vigour of youth while the old rage against the dying light with all the dignity of the ages
the dying die
im listening to this while playing minecraft
Well said.
I don't go gentle into anything.....
Thank YOU Dylan Thomas
My mom too fought it until the end. With tears on the side of her beautiful blue eyes she said: 'I'm afraid'. 😭😭😭
I am 66 years young still ride my Triumph, BSA, Norton vintage bikes as fast as I can age is from the neck up
Well said Alan,from another Triumph rider!😊
What I hear is the passion of a man singing from his heart.
Like all great works of art it has many meanings on many different levels; yes, it is about an old man dying, but it adapts itself to each listener's own experiences; it can even be interpreted on a political level.
According to at friend of mine, the theme of the poem is his father's impending blindness. (D.T. himszelf pointed out that.) But of course it has levels beyond that.
The light and dark of spirituality, good and evil.
Very good point! A good poem appears to me as a very exact description that can take on many meanings, because its true in its specificity! The unity of the Universe and all that, you know..
No doubt Thomas was Welsh - listen to that musical intonation in his Welsh accent!
Some of that, but I also thought he was vocalising the fine line between poetry and song.
Ofc he's a Celt and Welsh too.
With the name Dylan Thomas you’d have to be he had a house laugharne
Being Welsh makes buggerall difference! ;)
That is NOT a Welsh accent; not in any shape or form. It's a mid-20th-century, middle-class English accent. Thomas was a Welshman by birth and upbringing, but Welsh culture plays little part in his work.
Every time i want to think about my father i think upon this poem. Without fail it brings back a flood of memories.
The quiet reading, I gather a greater power than some shouting of the words. Measured words, they Rage against the dying of the light. I have heard these words spoken at 6 am in a damp Philadelphia morning, my wife still snoring. Rage.... Against the dying of the Light. Amen.
Jim Hart I like the mention of a higher power. Makes sense to me. He is warning us not to mess up and waste life. Whilst comforting us that there is also a unifying force. The force is us and how we are similar and prone to similar thoughts.
Love you Dylan. Thank you for this gorgeous poem about grief.
Its beautiful , I'm not ready to leave earth without love and loving another. So I will shout in written words as I must.
Hearing Dylan read this is giving me goose bumps.Wales forever
It will send shivers down your spine if you really listen to it. Only purest of the pure things can do that.
@Colin Whyles Yes, thank you, this is a poem (literally) about his father's blindness. It may also be a possible launching point of departure into further inquiry... into my own blindness. To me it's a gentle tap on the shoulder, or fiery kick in the seat, as the need may be, to WAKE UP and seize the day/moment/life... whatever that may mean to each of us. This pandemic-pause has been provoking me to reflect and act on this.
I always love revisiting this over the years.
I spent an afternoon with a lady who was his friend when he was in Laugharne, just days before she died. Wonderful to hear her talk of him. Her memories pure poetry.
One of the few poetry pieces that never fail to soften my heart....
why? it is nonsense written by someone who drank himself to death at age 39 have you *seen* old men raging against the coming of the night?! how about a little serenity.
Recommendation: while listening to this, turn on "Is There Anybody Out There?" by Pink Floyd and listen to the instrumental part. It sounds epic.
Recommendation rejected.
sexygrandpa That is just epic dude :) Good vibes !
sexygrandpa That was actually really cool
sexygrandpa whoooaaaa that was really cool!!
sexygrandpa That was awesome, thanks for that recommendation! :) I would also recommend listening to this with New Order's Your Silent Face instrumental part. Adds a little bit of electronica to it.
I read this and many of his poems in 67-68 still have these books and remember this one as one of my favourites. I will rage against the dying of the light!
my best friend died last year. this poem comforted him on his last day.
May He rest well from his toils .
- give Comfort and receive Comfort , both so much can ease all pains , and the most ruinous - that of the soul ....
Just speechless; when everything's been said allready...
Awesome this amount of precisely pronounced consonants!
Thank you for posting - fascinating to hear the voice of the poet himself, speaking to us (as it were) from the grave! Also very interesting to hear how he meant it to sound. Above all, most amusing to read how het up people still get over the man and his work, the dos and don'ts of poetry, as well as "how things should be read". Have people forgotten that poetry is all about expression? Let it be read, however the reader will; if the listener hear, let him be still.
Peace out (",)
This is a profound poem it is a poem for humanity and in the final reckoning we all shall face that final goodnight Dylans reading of his own composition is masterful and adds a dimension to it
One of my favorites from High School 50 years ago!
Kevin W 50 years ago for me also 😬
I've always loved poetry. This is the most profound and self enlightening words spoken I've ever seen written or heard. Truly inspiring
The poem is in memoriam of his late Father who died in great pain and suffering after spending his life working in the coal mines of Wales, and Dylan Thomas' anger that he never got to talk to his Father about anything of great import.
It is an inspirational work intended to encourage others to talk openly with their parents before it is too late. It is also a dark warning to those who don't of the regret, guilt, anger and self loathing that they will feel as a result of not doing so.
It's a quid pro quo. Not a message to the Ego.
Apparently it was written before the death of his father. But still about him they say I gues
Wasnt his father an english teacher?
Don't think his Da' was a coal miner...
So then why am I reading it's about his father going blind?
@@ticketyboo2456 Richard Burton's Da was a coal miner. Burton often recited Thomas' poetry.
I love it. Dylan Thomas was not only a phenomenal poet, but a beautifully accomplished poetry reader and speaker. It's one of my favorite poems, and I hope he would approve of my reading of it.
"RAGE, RAGE AGINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT"! ABSOLUTELY!!!!
There are lyrics in the old New Orleans song Let the Good Times Roll: "You're only here once, and when you're dead, you're done, so let the good times roll." I'm still trying to work out the math in the lyric, "I've got 50 cents more than I'm gonna keep!" RIP BB KIng!
I listened a second time and concentrated on his voice and emotion and the tears 😢 started......
One of the last things my dad heard me read to him before he passed away...Gone way too soon..Ill love you forever Pop. Until we meet again..
And you will.
dunno about the rest of ya but this hits a very deep note with me
I have never heard thomas perform this. I'm amazed. Thank you for posting
The light does not die it gets brighter. We can only see our world through a glass darkly.
One of the best videos on yt, fantastic!
'THE' DYLAN...I love this man and his poetry which "fork lightning"...
Came to Dylan Thomas’ work for inspiration in this trying time 🙏🏼
It is exactly one year today since my father passed away. I asked him not to go gentle... again...
As a young dog I read Thomas' verse long before I heard him speak it and I have to say it came as a bit of a shock when I did. I was a teenager in the fifties and loved Cool Jazz, Abstract Expressionism and Girls and so imagined that such a cool oversexed poet would inevitably sound 'modern'. However, his Taffy voice and chapel vibrato seemed strangely at odds with his wonderful word-play verse and I though I enjoy his reading I was never entirely convinced he was the best man for the job.
Couldn't agree more! I've always thought there's a pompous self-regard in the voice that just doesn't sit well with the writing. I imagine this is how Henry Irving or Edmund Keane might have rendered it, had they been around at the time!
vivavinyl I've commented on this above. It is probably attributable to the class system and BBC simply not being able to tolerate anything serious not being in the accent of an Oxford Don. I think the Beatles were the first artists who did anything with serious intent who did not adopt this accent in speaking about their work. In fact I'd guess that a poet no matter how good would be ignored it he did not conform as the critical gatekeepers would feel as if they were speaking to some kind of inferior, unclean creature. It's still happening.
I've always thought that the "voice" in this recording didn't fit the man or the material, but maybe Thomas had adopted the ponderous delivery from others as being the accepted performance standard du jour. To me, it sounds flat and pompous, rather than passionate, as if read by someone unfamiliar with it. Something akin to this comes across in Churchill's droning, flat, recording of his 1940 Commons "...never surrender" speech, as if he's reading it unseen.
In this poem he is not accepting death willingly. He does not want his father to die
But death is inevitable. So he says rage ..rage...
I just learned this wonderful poet died at 39. I wonder if it was of a broken heart from losing his father. Dads, please be strong and fight like hell to stay. Your kids need you.
Died? Did you hear the poem?
Was exposed to this in my high school years 60/50 years earlier but this has followed me everywhere since.
one of my all time favorite poems, and this is cool because it's Dylan reading his own work....however, I must admit that my favorite version is by Rodney Dangerfield in the 1986 movie "Back to School".
my thoughts exactly :)
Same :)
Surely Modern Classic.
Resonated, Resonating, and Will Resonate.
What a beautiful voice he had. I love this site.
As I cried watching my beloveds go for the 5th time, as I swept my tear and laughed at the good memories. I watched the beautiful scenery of the one which was made. I held my heart as I watch it end and laughed as the credits roll. I sighed with the toll being lift, I clicked the off button. And I closed my eyes as I watch the movie Interstellar grow old.
YOU THOUGHT IT WAS A SAD POEM OF A DECEASED BUT NOOOO I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE GREAT MOVIE INTERSTELLAR THAT FEATURED THIS POEM:
Do not go gentle into that good night
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.
speaks to so many who do not go gentle into that dark good night
he is realLY SINGING!
Who could not like this? Good night Father. I hope your pain is gone.
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.
Jo
Thanks for that.
Thank you! Appreciate it!❤
It is possible only for a Poet to recite his poem with the proper intonation and passion. This is my most humble observation.
Yes Dear Dylan
This simply because the force that through the green fuse derived the flower (time)
Rest in piece Tryn, even though I did not know you personally, you deserve to be able to rest your head.
Ah well. I’ve learned that I have less than a year to die. This was always my favorite poem. I promis you all, I will rage, rage, rage against the closing of the light.
Greg
Greg I will pray for you to rage against it. I will pray for your health as well and pray that you know the Lord. Thank you for sharing this and you will be on my mind.
Beautiful, haunting, transcendent.
Dylan Thomas died young in 1953, so this spine tingling recording is obviously very old. Thanks for posting the vid.
Thank you Dylan Thomas.
I think it means don't just lay down and let death take you. rage for your life to keep living..but that's my interpretation.
Vinnie C Well, that is the right interpretation...
For some reason, I like the poem, even though from my own perspective, there is little reason not to go gentle into that good night.
Vinnie C No interpretation is a bad one.
Not necessarily according to my standards.
it means live life fully, so you have no regrets on your deathbed.
Before Sunrise the Movie brought me here. Glad I found it. Different poem than the movie but what a guy!
Daily routine this is becoming...it helps me start my day...I think a verse applys to everyone...wild men ...learnt to late thats me to T...lovely powerful words...in a world full of spite hatred n jelousy...poverty hunger n so on n so fourth...my grandmother is the lights dying I read it n hope theres a bit of my gran in that senile body that can hear me...if I just reach that little bit if her thsts inside that frail body that is letting her down...been a slave all her life...its a cruel world but only because of human intervention...I find this planet beautiful n what are we in comparison to a beautiful view over thr sea...thanks for posting this...sometimes you find things jyst at the right time n in my whole life I hadnt heard it somehow...his words have touched my soul
What wonderful resonance to that wonderful Welsh voice. As in Burton, Hopkins
what a magnificent voice....so rich
There are many studies which have charted the degeneration of English accents by region over time. Even the Queen herself has lost many of the uniquely rich pronunciations in her own speech.
Thing is, they were already amazed at the loss of accents and regional dialects and refined speech patters over 100 years ago.
Goodness gracious me-stop shining that light in my eyes I listened in my head it's unbelievable waves of rages.
Dylan Thomas, Welsh genius
orionh3000 Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea in Wales, lived in Carmarthenshire, also in wales and is buried in Carmarthenshire. A famous work of his is A Child’s Christmas in Wales written shortly before he passed away. Yes he did die in New York but he was not American.
@orionh3000 idiot
I read this at a memorial for my sister. I studied drama with Professor Thomas Taig In Cardiff school of Music and Drama. who knew Dylan Thomas personally. He believed that Dylan Thomas drank because he was so sensitive to the horrors of our word. He directed us in Under Milk Wood, I played Mrs. Ogmore Pritchard. Also in Israel our English Theatre group performed it in Haifa University
Those 7 people went gently into the night