Do Not Go Gentle vs. This Is It: A Literary Comparison

Introduction

Dylan Thomas's poem Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night and the Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald song This Is It both deal with the mortality of man. Each is a plea to a dying father — Thomas's and Loggins's, respectively — not to give up the good fight as they neared death. Both works argue that even at the end of life, one should choose to fight against the inevitability of death.

Appendix: Full Texts

Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night — Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

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.

This Is It — Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald

There've been times in my life,
I've been wonderin' why.
Still, somehow I believed we'd always survive.
Now, I'm not so sure.
You're waiting here, one good reason to try.
But, what more can I say? What's left to provide?

(You think that maybe it's over,)
(Only if you want it to be.)

Are you gonna wait for a sign, your miracle?
Stand up and fight.

(This is it.)
Make no mistake where you are.
(This is it.)
Your back's to the corner.
(This is it.)
Don't be a fool anymore.
(This is it.)
The waiting is over, no, don't you run.
No way to hide.

No time for wonderin' why.
It's here, the moment is now, about to decide.
Let 'em believe.
Leave 'em behind.
But keep me near in your heart.
Know whatever you do, I'm here by your side.

(You say that maybe it's over.)
(Not if you don't want it to be.)

For once in your life, here's your miracle.
Stand up and fight.

(This is it.)
Make no mistake where you are.
(This is it.)
You're goin' no further.
(This is it.)
Until it's over and done.
(No one can tell what the future holds.)
Oh-oh-oh-oh.
(Who makes the choice of how it goes?)
It's not up to me this time.
(You know.)
Comes a day in every life.

(This is it.)
Make no mistake where you are.
(This is it.)
You're goin' no further.
(This is it.)
Until it's over and done.
(This is it.)
One way or another.
(This is it.)
(No one can tell what the future holds.)
(This is it.)
Your back's to the corner.
(This is it.)
(You make the choice of how it goes.)
(This is it.)
The waiting is over.
(This is it.)
(No one can tell what the future holds.)
(This is it.)
One way or another.
(This is it.)