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Short Story vs Poem ( vs Thomas)

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English125

Short Story vs Poem ( vs Thomas)

No matter what you read, whether it be a short story, a poem, or a play they always have a meaning behind them. This meaning is called a theme. The theme is a representation of the idea behind the writing itself. Every piece of writing is centered around a theme. An example of the theme is death. Two authors come to mind when explaining themes. Those two authors are Dylan Thomas and Jean Rhys. Both have written about death. Although Jean Rhys wrote “Used To Live Here Once” a short story and Dylan Thomas wrote “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”. Both are different types of writing with the same message.

In Dylan Thomas' “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” He speaks about a plea from a dying man's son to fight against imminent death. In lines one through three he writes “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.” (Clugston, 2010) In this poem Thomas is talking about night being death and to not go easily. Some will approach dying as a time of horrified struggle and purposelessness, and as poet Dylan Thomas wrote.(Sanders, 2007) He states “rave at the close of day”(Clugston, 2010) it means you should fight and go kick and screaming before death takes you. In the third line he is saying to fight and fight so death does not take you.

In lines seven through eight of “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas he speaks of how even good men do not want to die ,and would like to live longer to prove they are worth the life if they are spared. “Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay.” (Clugston, 2010) Although they know they are going to die they still “Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” (Clugston, 2010)

Nearing the end of the poem you see that the writer is actually talking about his father and how his father should not die and he wants him fight to stay alive. “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.”(Maud, 2003)

In Jean Rhys' “Used To Live Here Once” the writer discribes a woman walking back to her home re encountering and remembering the things she once saw. “She was standing by the river looking at the stepping stones and remembering each one.” (Clugston, 2010) Also pointing out the the things that have changed.”The road was much wider than it used to be but the work had been done carelessly.' (Clugston, 2010) She eventually makes it the house but notices differences. She came to the worn stone steps that led up to the house and her heart began to beat. “The screw pine was gone, so was the mock summer house called the ajoupa, but the clove tree was still there and at the top of the steps the rough lawn stretched away, just as she remembered it. She stopped and looked towards the house that had been added to and painted white. It was strange to see a car standing in front of it.”(Clugston, 2010) She walks to the yard sees some children and tries to call out to them but they don't answer. She moves even closer. Close enough so they could see and her with still no response from the children. At one point a boy looks over right through her, expresses his wanting to go in the house because of the chill. The other child fallows and the story is ended with “Her arms fell to her sides as she watched them running across the grass to the house. That was the first time she knew.”(Clugston, 2010) Meaning she knew she was a ghost. She had died and everything had changed.

In both of these writings the author brought about death. Both very different aspects of death, but death no the less. The theme is very clear with both the short story “Used To Live Here Once” by Jean Rhys and “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” Dylan Thomas.

References

Clugston, R. Wayne. ENG125 A Journey into Literature,2010

Sanders, Mary Anne. Nearing Death Awareness : A Guide to the Language, Visions and Dreams of the Dying. London, GBR: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2007. p 97. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/Doc?id=10196781&ppg=99 Copyright © 2007. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. All rights reserved.

Maud, Ralph. Where Have the Old Words Got Me? : Explications of Dylan Thomas's Collected Poems. Montreal, QC, CAN: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2003. p 79. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/Doc?id=10218431&ppg=99 Copyright © 2003. McGill-Queen's University Press. All rights reserved.