Death Be Not Proud

When comparing “Death, be not proud” (John Donne) the most comparable poem was “Because I could not stop for death” (Emily Dickinson). These poems were obviously similar in using death as the topic however; they were also similar in their attitude toward death. Donne expresses that death isn’t as powerful as it thinks it is. Donne is saying that although Death (referring to death as a person) thinks he's something special, because he has the power to take life, really, he's not. Death isn’t special because he must take everyone whether they're kings or just regular men. So that means he's really a slave to every

Donne conveys how religion is a central idea through the use of many religious references throughout the holy sonnets. In ‘Death Be Not Proud’, Donne makes a religious reference to Jesus, ‘Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee’, expressing how religion was an underlying theme when handling many issues. When the two texts are studied in alliance, it allows the responder to draw a better understanding of the themes presented in ‘W;t’. This theme, science VS religion, has been emphasised due to the contrasts between Vivian and Donne and their context.

In a sense, a felt that Donne was saying that death dies to us because we no longer have to experience it. This was my interpretation of the poem, and I feel that this poem speaks to me because as a Christian, I understand that death is not the end, but merely a phase of transition in to the afterlife. Those of us who have faith in our God and the lord Jesus Christ, know that our souls rest eternally in heaven with God when we die. I think the fear of death arises because of the mysterious and unknown aspect of death, but for those who belief in the word of God, death no longer holds power over them.

Donne's view of death is that it is an insignificant thing that has no power over people. By saying "One short sleep past, we wake eternally" (13), he illustrates that he believes that there is some sort of afterlife. In fact, he says that the time that death has power

The memoir Death Be Not Proud by John Gunther , written in 1940, is the most popular American death memoir. This tells a heartbreaking, yet inspiring story about a young fifteen year old boy struggling with a brain tumor. The story begins when the boy, Johnny was first diagnosed with the deadly illness and ends with the unfortunate result. The story is narrated by the father of Johnny who describes the struggle for himself and Johnny’s mother, whom he is divorced from. Although Johnny had this terrible illness which has impacted his whole life as well as the lives of his family, he still stayed positive. He focused on the good in life rather than the negatives of dying. Gunther has inspired others by sharing his son’s journey, he has shown that not all

Donne uses a serious tone when addressing Death. In lines 1 and 2, he begins with: “Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so.” He directly tells Death that it is not mighty nor

"Death, Be Not Proud" has an unusual theme compared to other poems about death. This poem talks about God rendering death's power useless. It speaks about death positively, instead of a gateway to Hell, it is instead a path to Heaven. At the beginning, it seems this poem is a letter taunting death, saying that one day, death will be no more. It compares death to sleep, saying that eventually, people will awaken for eternity. This poem has a great way of intertwining death and Christianity together in a motivational letter.

In “Valediction Forbidding Mourning,” the third stanza (lines 9-12) compares the married lovers separation to an earthquake. The idea brings panic and fear to mind and is thought to be catastrophic. Donne then says “Though greater far, is innocent.” (line 12), meaning that while the thought seemed so devastating, in reality it is just an innocent small rumble, or “bump in the road,” that doesn’t have damaging lasting effects. In “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” the sunset is an important metaphor.

John Donne’s diction, detail, point of view, metaphysical format, and tone used in “Holy Sonnet 10” convey both a feeling of cynical and domination, and also a sense of mockery of death. The effects on the reader include assurance and confidence in facing death.

Donne uses the rhyme scheme that consists of three couplets and one triplet at the end of each stanza. When he starts a new rhyme, it is almost as if the reader gets a new idea or new concept that the speaker has made. Donne has limited himself to only ending each rhyme pattern with a one-syllable word. He also uses iambic tetrameter and iambic pentameter. This tells us that Donne put a certain emphasis on syllables and word placement.

Donne transformed the love poetry he wrote in his early days, beginning in 1617 with the death of his wife Anne More, to religious poetry with a strong sense of awareness of death and its import. This poetic development from classical poetry to more personal poetry reflects the events that marked his own life, and can be traced throughout his poetry. This kind of personal and thereby

Donne uses personification to give death human characteristics and to challenge its power. This is conveyed to the reader in the following statement, “Death, be not proud, though some have called thee /Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;” (Donne 1-2). The tone and the way in which Donne is talking about death, seems like he is talking to a person, he tells death that it is neither powerful nor dreadful, and it has nothing to be proud of. Also he refers to death using the word “thou,” which means you, which shows that he is personifying death. His argument would not have been as strong without personification, because the personification makes it look like he is actually talking to someone.

By making many references to the Bible, John Donne's Holy Sonnets reveal his want to be accepted and forgiven by God. A fear of death without God's forgiveness of sins is conveyed in these sonnets. Donne expresses extreme anxiety and fright that Satan has taken over his soul and God won't forgive him for it or his sins. A central theme of healing and forgiveness imply that John Donne, however much he wrote about God and being holy, wasn't such a holy man all of the time and tried to make up for it in his writing.

By using metaphysical conceits in "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," Donne attempts to convince his love (presumably his wife) that parting is a positive experience which should not be looked upon with sadness. In the first stanza, Donne compares

The central theme, introduced quite early within the poem, is the helplessness of death. Throughout the poem the speaker belittles death and approaches it with such bravery and poise. Donne confronts death by saying it is not in any regard “mighty and dreadful” (2), but rather brings “much pleasure” (7). Death is personified in the poem, and in this regard, possess no greater power over man. The speaker of the poem is Donne himself. He uses his literary tools of rhetoric and poetic devices to belittle death. Throughout the poem, the speaker comes across as being slightly arrogant, but he refuses to show weakness. His arrogance shows that he is not afraid of death as he demands death not to be proud. Donne takes the association of death and sleep, and reinvents this comparison to a greater effect. He describes sleep as being “pictures” (5) of death and death is no more different or more frightening. He extends this metaphor throughout the poem. In the second last line of the poem he