Cinematic Poems
for Advanced Spanish Learners
for Advanced Spanish Learners
Welcome to Cinematic Poems! On this website you will find the Spanish version of poems extracted from movies.
We begin with a poem from Interstellar by Christopher Nolan. Following these activities you will learn how to read and enjoy a poem in Spanish, you will create your translation back to English and you will finally compare your work with the Original Version of the poem by Dylan Thomas.
You can work on your own, or in pairs!
No entres dócilmente en esa buena noche,
La vejez debe arder y delirar al final del día;
Rabia, rabia contra la luz en su agonía.
El sabio en su fin ve justas las noches,
Pues su palabra no dejó la marca que debía,
No entres dócilmente en esa buena noche.
[...]
Rabia, rabia contra la luz en su agonía.
Read the poem out loud twice. If you work in pairs, take turns.
Is there any word you particularly like?
Let's categorize the words!
Find the nouns in the poem. If they are joined by an article or adjective, underline them. Are there any synonyms or antonyms between the nouns you have found?
Find the verbs in the poem: how are they conjugated? Who is the subject of the verb? Find at least one imperative.
Analyze the words left. What type of words are they? Are there any adverbs? Which prepositions can you find?
Now, let's go deeper into the meaning. If there are still words you don't understand, find their meaning.
Which nouns do you think are the most important? What do you think they symbolize?
What are your favorite words of the poem? Why do you like it? Is it because of the meaning, the sound...?
Without looking at the original poem, translate the Spanish version into English.
Look for rhymes in the Spanish version. Are there any sounds that are important to keep? Pay special attention to the end of the lines.
Here you have the original version of the poem. Compare it to your version.
Is there anything lost in translation?
Which one do you like better?
Working with AI! Go to ChatGPT and ask it to compare and analyze the two versions.
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.
[...]
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.