Final answer:
Comparing 'Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night' and 'The Charge of the Light Brigade,' one finds themes of conflict and bravery though different contexts and tones: the former as an intimate elegy about resisting death, the latter as a historical narrative about a tragic military charge.
Step-by-step explanation:
When comparing and contrasting the poems “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas and “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, it is evident that both poems deal with themes of conflict and bravery, yet they do so in different contexts and with distinct emotional tones. Thomas’ poem is an elegy that passionately urges the dying to resist death and “fight” against the end of life, metaphorically represented by the coming of night. Tennyson’s work, on the other hand, is a narrative poem commemorating the valiant yet doomed charge of British cavalry during the Crimean War.
The diction in Thomas’ poem is intense and personal, creating a tone of urgent imploration. The repetitive structure of the villanelle, with its refrain “Do not go gentle into that good night,” emphasizes the entreaty for resistance against mortality. In contrast, Tennyson’s poem employs a more formal and distant narration, with a rhythmic and martial diction that impresses upon the reader the grandeur and tragedy of the historical event. Both poems utilize imagery and repetition, yet in “Do Not Go Gentle,” the images are of the inner light of life, while in “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” they depict the external drama of battle. Overall, while both poets portray the struggle against an inescapable end, the emotional response elicited and the poet’s approach to the subject matter diverge significantly.