Dylan Thomas deftly investigates notions of reality and higher power as he reflects on life and death in his poem Don't Go Softly Into That Good Night. Seemingly a total rejection of religion and God, the poem never directly states the presence of a higher power. It addresses the constancy of life in death in society and the approach that humanity has towards everyone. Thomas's poetry suggests a new notion of religion that describes an unattainable and unstoppable force for humanity, as is evident in the poem's end rhymes, diction, symbols, and imagery. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Thomas uses the traditional structure of a villanelle to reveal that life and the forces that drive it are not as simple you might believe. The villanelle stays true to the classic rhyming formula, the ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA rhyme scheme. Additionally, the repetition of the first two A lines is used as typically required by the structure. This tight formula first suggests that life, like poetry, is clearly understood and defined by the ideologies held by humanity. However, looking closely, one realizes that the end rhymes suggest an entirely different notion of the tradition. End rhymes include words like "night," "light," "right," "view," and more. Each of these end rhymes highlights the theme of the poem itself. Day and night, light and darkness, growth and knowledge are everywhere proposed and contradicted. By rhyming these words together at the end of each line, the poem finds a pattern not unlike the pattern of life and death. Traditional religious values ​​indicate that death is not the end of life, but only the next step towards heaven or a life beyond earth. question. The final rhymes of this poem do not extend beyond the end of night or death. Instead, every time darkness comes, the light ends and a new light emerges elsewhere. This pattern suggests that life is continuous, but a single life follows the predictable pattern of arising, growing, and then finally ending. Nature or whatever unknown force drives this life cycle does not extend beyond the grave. This traditional notion is put aside and a new one is embraced. Death is still inevitable for life, which indicates that life is not something controlled by humans, but by a greater force. This force dictates the cycle of life and defines it in the scheme described. A simple poetic form and rhyme scheme are revealed as a complex message of truth in religious revelation. The end rhymes seem simple and whimsical, but in the reality of poetry nothing is what it seems. There is a force that incites the opening and closing of "light" and "night" that the structure that humanity attempts to give to life cannot control. The structure, however, really allows us to recognize the inevitability of force. Each final rhyme is like the last one, another revolution of a day, another life that comes and goes. Traditional religious values ​​contradict and hide the reality of what is, as the traditional structure of the poem masks the indication of a new force driving humanity. This new force, the new religion, appears only at the end of each verse, as the force seems to be evident at the very end, when it is too late, of each life. The thematic diction of the poem also reveals fruitful contradictions that point to a new religion. and ideas in the face of traditionalism. On the other hand, simple, direct and definitive words are used quite often. Words like “night”, “day”,“cursed,” “blessed,” “right,” and “sight” are exactly what they sound like. Each of these words, time or action, is concretely defined. The words demonstrate the clarity with which one can lead one's life according to the Christian ideals and religious upholders favored by the world. Traditionally, a clear line defines the good and the bad, the living and the dead. However, this simplification of the poem's dictions leaves many things unexplored. Clear indicative words are interrupted and infused with words of passion, movement and intensity. Words that carry this enthusiastic diction include “lightning,” “blaze,” “fierce,” “blinding,” and “rage.” The opposing dictions are intertwined throughout the poem. The dance of these words suggests that tradition and definitions of life as humanity understands it may be motivated and controlled by a driving force hidden to the man of traditional faith. This force is inevitable, which is why every actor in the poem is driven to passionate action. Strength fills life itself and defines death, but it cannot be understood or achieved as long as the simplicity of current religious values ​​remains intact. We must realize that life and death are not the black and white that some terms may suggest, but rather the vortex of the unknown controlled by superior forces. This notion becomes evident in the phrase indicating that a dying man sees "with blinding sight." The word “sight” is clear and definitive. This describes someone's ability to visually interpret their world. The diction is clear. This would be true if it were not coupled with the contradictory word “blinding.” The diction of this word is much more interpretive and mobile. Diction implies action and strength. If you have sight, then the ability to physically see is possible. Here the sight is blinding, indicating that some aspect of passionate life or death disables literal sight to reveal a truth that simplicity cannot describe. One near the grave comes to realize that everything he once considered truth and fact, the traditional moiri of Christianity, is a falsified reality. The force he cannot control and has never seen before, due to his traditional vision, comes into focus the moment he dies. Man is never in control of his situation, his life or his death. The higher force, the new religion, enabled and disabled his sight and recognition. Even in the revelation of a new religion, he cannot share knowledge with humanity, since the life he lived has passed and nothing follows. The clear and concise words that fill this poem and rule humanity are guided by traditional religions that place no value on the truth of the higher power responsible for life and death. The revelation of the new religion and forces appears again in the diction of the phrase in which “good men” are found to “cry how brightly.” The diction of the words “good” and “bright” indicate simple and definitive notions. The complexity of the statement is introduced when the passionate and emotional word “cry” interrupts the clear nature presented. The diction of this word contrasts with the diction of “good” and “brilliant”. A traditional view of God and religion can be clearly defined and indicated by the words “good” and “bright.” Religion, as a positive and well-understood aspect of humanity, portends a promising future for those who employ the traditions presented to them. This clarity fails to address the emotional and ever-changing nature of life itself. By breaking the rhythm of the diction with the passionate word “pianto”, one is led to believe that the easily defined and understandable moiréthey don't explain everything. Life is driven, interrupted and ends in passion and movement. As the actor is brought into an emotional state, the religion of tradition is challenged by new thinking. Traditional gods cannot explain the force of nature. Suffering pain, passionate encounters and more are left unresolved and neglected. These forces, the ones that guide the thoughts and actions of every life, are the direct result of the proposed new religion. This religion, like diction, is in constant motion, the end and guide of life. A force more complex than can be simply described, such as traditional religions, is the source of the few passionate truths that humanity recognizes. Poetry that reveals a new way of religion or vision of the higher power manifests itself through symbolism. The poet explores the use of traditional ideological symbols to realize notions of God and religion. These ideological symbols of God and heaven include “light,” “day,” “darkness,” and “night.” These are commonly used to symbolize death and life or awareness and ignorance. “Light” is often used as a representation of heaven or the afterlife. In imploring these ideological symbols the poem allows the message to be interpreted as one of faith. However, the traditional view of life is destroyed by these symbols. The idea of ​​the paradise of life after death is erased in the use of symbols of darkness and night as ignorance or death. They convey purpose in the ideological symbol they serve and indicate that traditional views of heaven brought about by religion are falsified. A different force, which traditionalists ignore, controls the pattern of life and death described here. Furthermore, the exploration of personal symbols suggests that there is more to religion than tradition can explain. Personal conscious symbols such as “words,” “actions,” and “eyes” are representative of the reality that humans are familiar with and can explain. They represent the elements and aspects of life that humanity considers to be a matter of knowledge. These are the places where humanity polices itself. People have the freedom to act and experience the world as individuals responsible for their own destiny. The symbols of “words…actions…eyes” serve as a representation of someone's ownership over their life. The ideas provided by this symbolism are destroyed by the personal unconscious symbolism in the poem. Aspects of life, the ways in which people control life, are guided by things like “lightning” and “meteors.” These words symbolize the uncontrollable, unattainable and inevitable aspects of humanity. You can use your words to articulate your thoughts, but these words can never be used to control the impact of lightning. Likewise, a meteor passes through the atmosphere indifferent to the eyes that look at it. Life and death are driven by forces over which people have no control. Therefore faith as a concrete explanation of reality is false. The new religion suggests that the force that defines and controls life and death cannot be fully understood or articulated by humanity. It is truly a higher power and traditional values ​​cannot interpret it. In addition to the symbolism provided, the impact of the images can be noted as yet another testimony to the promotion of a new and radical religious notion. The poem makes use of visual, self-contained imagery throughout the text in an attempt to bring new ideas to light. Visual images reveal things like “light…dark…bright…sight…blind” and more. These images allow us to reflect on life and death, birth, renewal, sin and the end. Images are something that.