Hi learned poets,

I have heard the poem that starts with "DO not go gently into that good night" and I find it inspirational. I would like to know who wrote that one. Do you know of any other poems that make you want to conquer the world?

I'm grateful for any suggestions.

Thanks!

Ian

-- Ian Mitchell-Gill (imitchel@ppi.com), May 06, 1999

Answers

Ian, It was Dylan Thomas, basically about the death of his father. Another brilliant one by Dylan Thomas is "And Death shall have no dominion":

And death shall have no dominion. Dead men naked they shall be one With the man in the wind and the west moon; When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone, They shall have stars at elbow and foot; Though they go mad they shall be sane, Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again; Though lovers be lost love shall not; And death shall have no dominion.

And death shall have no dominion. Under the windings of the sea They lying long shall not die windily; Twisting on racks when sinews give way, Strapped to a wheel, yet they shall not break; Faith in their hands shall snap in two, And the unicorn evils run them through; Split all ends up they shan't crack; And death shall have no dominion.

And death shall have no dominion. No more may gulls cry at their ears Or waves break loud on the seashores; Where blew a flower may a flower no more Lift its head to the blows of the rain; Through they be mad and dead as nails, Heads of the characters hammer through daisies; Break in the sun till the sun breaks down, And death shall have no dominion.

"If" by Rudyard Kipling is very inspirational esp these lines,

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or, being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two imposters just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

Another one that inspires me is "The Lady of Shallott" by Tennyson

Cheers

Prabal

-- Prabal Ray (Prabal.Ray@uk.abnamro.com), May 06, 1999.