The poem, "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas, grabs the reader's attention in the first stanza by appealing to reader's thought of death. "Old age should burn and rave at the close of day" is a clear thought that everyday that goes by ultimately brings each of us closer to our death. It shows how everyday is precious and tomorrow is not promised to anyone. The speaker's tone, use of language, and rhythm allows the reader of "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" to analyze the features the writer is presenting in the poem. .
The most apparent feature in the poem is the writer's use of rhythm. The writer does an excellent job of establishing a clear rhythm with the lines "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" and "Do not go gentle into that good night." With one of these lines being the last line is each stanza, the author is able to reinforce the central idea of living and fighting for each day. The rhythm that these lines create also gives the poem more passion and zeal since it constantly reminds the reader of the struggle for life that each person hopes to wake with.
Another important feature in the poem is the author's use of tone. The tone of the poem is set right from the beginning with the line "Do not go gentle into that good night." This line immediately sets the reader's mind to think of someone struggling, and that concept is present throughout the entire poem. The choice of words the speaker uses in the poem helps to convey the imagine that the speaker is in the later years of his/her life and feels that each day is a war against death, "the dying of the light." During the middle part of the poem, the author tries to find the good in death. One can infer this by the line "Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning." It gives the impression that since this is an older person his/her words has less importance on society than they once did.