Poetry Explication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Poetry Explication - Essay Example Thomas used words as a brick layer may use mortar, the words served to hold the meaning in place, â€Å"what the words stood for, symbolized, or meant, was of very secondary importance; what mattered was the sound of them as I heard them for the first time†(Ferris, pp. 25). It was not uncommon for Thomas to discuss the idea of death in his work. In one such poem, A Refusal to Mourn the Death, By Fire, of a Child in London, Thomas deals directly with the death of a child and the emotions that follow, â€Å"The majesty and burning of the childs death./I shall not murder† (Thomas, lines 13-14). Thomas seems to pull the idea of challenging the finality of death into this piece just as he does in Do Not Go Gently into that Good Night. Thomas deals with the reoccurring theme of death in several of his works in such a way as to challenge death itself and the aftermath felt by people who lose loved ones. This is an essential way in which to deal with the natural reality of deat h and Thomas does so through the use of language. Ultimately, Thomas wrote the piece entitled A Refusal to Mourn the Death of a Child, By Fire, in London as a way of illustrating his detest for the Nazi’s and their actions in World War II. Thomas was very in favor of the allied forces, and though he loved love intrinsically and saw the death of a child as the ultimate horror, he was not going to acknowledge the actions of the German forces in any way. This poem was his way of embracing life and refusing to be defeated by the hatred of the Nazi forces and what they stood for. The very first line of Thomas’ poem Do Not GO Gently into that Good Night, imposes instructions to the reader, â€Å"Do not go gently into that good night† (Thomas, line 1). This is the heart of the poem in that Thomas is essentially illustrating that there is an inevitable journey to be made but that one should not make this journey without resistance. The next line establishes the