This tattoo was submitted by Christian, who says: “This is simply how I strive to live my life.”
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave 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.
- Dylan Thomas, “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”
(95 votes, average: 4.63 out of 5)
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I love this poem, and it is an amazing tattoo. Absolutely perfect combination.
Good font
dylan thomas <3
I literally said “wow” out loud when I read this, nicely done.
EvieG:)
i feel really dumb for asking but i dont understand the poem what does it mean to you?
I have been planning to get the same one. To me it means dont waste a moment of life. Life in slowly growing darker every day we age, you should fight the coming night by living fully every day.
christian wallace..i’d know this tattoo anywhere.
Lauren, the meaning I derive from this poem is similar to that of Ronnie’s.
Basically, our lives are like a day. They have a morning, a noon, a dusk, and, eventually, the sun sinks beneath our horizon and darkness settles over the earth. This is not a tragedy, rather just the cycle; afterall, if it were always day there would be no stars.
The reason this particular poem is so meaningful to me, as opposed to say, carpe diem or another “live life to the fullest” quote is that Thomas talks about four kinds of people: wise, good, wild, and grave. I feel like those particular words describe the essence of my own life in trying to live well-rounded and complete.
It also reminds me that as I grow older, it is even more of a reason to stay active in this world… to continue to create. I can’t think of anything more important than living well and this tattoo is a reminder to do just that.