The poet describes the nature of different kind of people towards the end of their lives that is the death. Everyone know that death is inevitable and a fact of life. Where there is life, death will eventually come.
No one can change it, but what is important is how to take this inevitable truth of life. The poet states that one should not fade and accept death as it comes, but one should have the will power and the passion to fight with death until it comes. The poet says that do not go gentle into that good night. Good night here refers to the night which has no end that is end of life- death. And he is asking everyone not to be polite to death, but one must have the rage and the fire to fight against it. The true sense of the poem is understood at its end when we learn that the poet’s father is approaching death and the poet wants him to fall into the second category of people who fights with death and keep the rage against death and not embrace it as it comes or as a natural fact of life.
In the starting of the poem, the poet says that one should not be polite to death and not accept it the way it comes. It is not possible to avoid the old age. Here the poet refers to death not because of any accident or incidental death, but it is the normal phase of life cycle when some one dies after the old age. The poet is saying that old age will come but one should fight till its end. One should keep the rage against the light of death.
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Next, the poet describes about how different personalities of people take death as and when it comes. Firstly, he talks about the wise people. These are the smart people takes the death as a fact of life. They know that it will come one day and they surrender to its darkness. They know that no matter how wise words they have ever spoken, these would not help since they bend in front of death and let their lives end with no fighting or revolt.
In contrast to the wise men, the poet describes the nature of good men. This set of people fight against the death as and when it approaches. These people take life as a bay which is green means full of life and joy, and the big wave as the last wave. They feel that this last wave should stop before it touches them. They know that their life is full of joy and they must enjoy it more before they go to their death beds. These are the people who fight with death so that they can live more and taste the sweet fruits of their lives.
Next the poet talks about the wild people, who enjoyed their lives and lived a happy life. This set of people also surrenders in front of death and keep on grieving and crying when death comes. They muster no power to fight with death and again go gentle into the laps of the death.
In contrast, the poet describes the grave men, the people who are very near to death, who can see that the death may come any time. It is not possible for them to open their eyes fully and feel so sleepy and is kind of ready for their good night. These people feel that life is like meteor which comes and are now going away from them. These people are the one who are fighting to keep their eyes open, to fight with death till they can. These are the brave people who do not go gentle in the good night.
In the next part of the poem, we truly understand the poet’s deep hidden reason for writing this wonderful piece of writing. His own father has turned old and nearing death. He is very much sad for this plight, and it hurts him to see him fading with the approaching death. He is asking him to fight, to fight hard against the death and live more. His life is moving into the darkness as the light of life is fading for him, but the poet wants his father to keep this light glowing and he should not go gentle in the good night.