Why “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” Makes Me Feel Like a Fake

One of my favorite poems is “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas.  As a poem that focuses on death and hope (or perhaps more accurately, defiance), it fits well with the story in which I discovered it: the YA dystopian/romance Matched series by Ally Condie.  There’s just something about it, particularly in the context of the story…

Here are the first few lines:

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.

Why do I like this poem, though? The message and wording is certainly powerful, but sometimes I wonder about whether I simply like the poem because I like Matched or if I truly like the poem for the poem itself.  Am I a fake? Can I trust my brain?

But can we ever really escape the web of associations that cause us to enjoy or not enjoy certain things? Does it even matter one way or another?

Do you ever worry that your appreciation for something isn’t genuine? Let me know in the comments!