Old age is often associated with calmness and even weakness, but the speaker has a very different view of it. He declares that “old age” should “burn and rave,” using vivid, almost violent language, and calls on his father to “rage” against death, conjuring the image of a brutal fight. The images of light he uses are similarly powerful—“lightning,” “caught… the sun,” “blaze like meteors.” The light of old age is portrayed as blinding, not soft and pleasant. Furthermore, the speaker’s depiction of “wise men” is particularly interesting. While wisdom is commonly paired with old age, the speaker doesn’t envision the sort of serene wisdom typically conjured up. Instead, he asserts that the wise do not face death—“that good night”—gently, but instead dream of harnessing lightning.