Rage, rage 😡 Against the Dying of the Light 💡🌅
Every evening at sundown I ask a blessing on the town, for whether we last the night or no I’m sure is always touch-and-go.–Dylan Thomas
Imagine a world where people refuse to give up, where we fight against the fading light instead of letting it slip away, no matter how tough it gets.
A world where we hold onto hope, keep pushing forward, focus on what we can control, and let go of what we can’t.
Every night before bed, the Stoics suggest reminding yourself that, “I may not wake up tomorrow.”
Even the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius advised parents to acknowledge, as they tuck their child in, “They might not wake up tomorrow.”
And this isn’t about being morbid, pessimistic, or dissociated from our loved ones, it’s actually the opposite.
It’s a reminder to slow down and truly be present. To ask yourself, “Why am I rushing through this moment? Why am I speeding through life when, in the end, the only thing I’m racing toward is death?”
Dylan Thomas, the famous Welsh poet, also captures this spirit beautifully in his famous poem Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night.
There, Thomas urged us to “rage, rage against the dying of the light even in old age.” He believed that life, no matter how close to the end, should be lived with passion and defiance.
It’s no wonder this poem became one of the most iconic of the 20th century.
Thomas wrote it in 1947 while on a family trip to Italy, just two years after World War II.
At that time, people’s optimism was starting to fade as new challenges and uncertainties loomed. His words became a rallying cry—a reminder to keep fighting, no matter what.
Imagine a world where people rage against the dying of the light.
Dylan Thomas had battled chronic asthma and bronchitis since he was a child, which meant he was unable to serve in the military.
But despite this setback, Thomas didn’t let life’s challenges to break his spirit—he refused to simply fade away.
His poem Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night is a powerful reflection of the relentless spirit he carried throughout his life.
He wrote it as a deep, personal message to his father, begging him to stay strong and keep his fire alive, even in the face of death.
But Thomas wasn’t just writing about his father—he was speaking to everyone, reminding us that no matter how tough things get, we should keep pushing forward and never give in without a fight.
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It should also be noted that Dylan Thomas fought like hell (in his own way) for years, and even dying did not come easily.
“Though they go mad they shall be sane,” writes Thomas, “though they sink through the sea they shall rise again; Though lovers be lost love shall not; And death shall have no dominion.”
Thomas is considered to be one of the most influential, if not the most famous Welsh poets of all time.
His poetry is distinctly modern, even though being influenced by surrealist poetry.
In her 1995 book, In High Tide in Tucson, author Barbara Kingsolver writes, “Every one of us is called upon, perhaps many times, to start a new life. A frightening diagnosis, a marriage, a move, loss of a job, a limb, or a loved one; a graduation, bringing a new baby home…’ To be hopeful, to embrace one possibility after another — that is surely the basic instinct… Time to move out into the glorious debris. Time to take this life for what it is.
“Darkness follows night,” explains the Irish author Dr. Joseph Murphy, “but morning will come again.”
“You do not want things to stand still, explains Murphy. And you also do not want to stand still either. For there are new worlds within and without to conquer.”
The goodness inside you is like a small flame, and you are its keeper.
It’s your job today and every day to make sure it has enough fuels.
And so long as your flame ignite, there will be some light in the world.
Thanks for reading.
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