A conversation between Frost and Thomas

“Death? Why this fuss about death? Use your imagination, try to visualize a world without death! ... Death is the essential condition of life, not an evil.” Frost’s Design supports Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s statement about death. Both see death as a fundamental part of life, not as the end to existence. Thomas’s Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night portrays death as the termination of life and something to be avoided as long as possible, though it is inevitable. These opposing speak to the arguable purpose of death. Death in the inescapable end that awaits all of us, but according to Thomas it’s only function is to conclude life, while Frost represents death as the only means by which life can exist.

Both poems use imagery of light against a black background to signify death and life. Frost speaks of a “Dimpled spider, fat and white” against the blackness of the night. The moth becomes stuck in the web of the spider, where it struggles to break free. Both the moth and the spider are both white, but in this scene the spider is bringing the moth to its death. The spider is only doing what it needs to what it was designed to do. Without the death of the moth, the spider would not be able to live and so the chain continues throughout the ecosystem. Even though the moth is gone, its presence is seen I the life of the spider. Thomas uses similar imagery of light against darkness, such as with “Blind eyes could blaze like meteors…”. This glowing image of a meteor represents life, which is fleeting into the darkness. Unlike the moth in Frosts’ poem, the meteor once it is gone can no longer be seen and it’s existence is over and forgotten.

The diction in both of the poems also suggests each author’s differing ideas about the purpose of death. Thomas uses active, lively words such as danced and gay to represent life. Night and end are more passive and dark words are used to symbolize death. Thomas also uses words that evoke an emotional response to pair emotions with life and death. “Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Rage induces feelings of anger and fury, which is associated with death. “Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay” correlates the word dance with life, which brings to mind feelings of freedom and joy. These contrasting emotions highlight the disparity between life and death. Frost uses diction to blur the distinction between life and death. “A snow-drop spider, a flower like a froth.” The flower represents the web in which the moth becomes stuck. Flowers are usually associated with delight and innocence, but Frost says the flower is like a froth (from a witches brew) which is usually connected with evilness. This obscures the purpose of the web, whether is it malevolent because it kills the moth or constructive because it allows the spider to live and eat and this obscures the purpose of death as meant by Frost.