John Donne's '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

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.

Mortality is a moving and compelling subject. This end is a confirmation of one’s humanity and the end of one’s substance. Perhaps that is why so many writers and poets muse about their own death in their writings. Keats and John Donne are two such examples of musing poets who share the human condition experience in When I Have Fears and Holy Sonnet 1.

William Shakespeare, a name renowned in all circles of English literature, when mentioned inspires recollections of writing and wit, of plays and poetry, and of love and loss. While his sonnets and plays have garnered most of his fame, Shakespeare’s talents extended to other forms of poetry; however, form does not curb his enthusiasm for addressing death. In his poem “Fear No More,” William Shakespeare wields repetition to not only uphold the ineluctable nature of death but also to establish the persistence and will of human nature.

"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.

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.

The Poem begins with a personification of death as "kindly" (3). By doing this, the speaker introduces a portrayal on death that might have conflictions. Most of the times, death has a negative connotation. Whether it is an inevitable or tragic view, it opposes to what is seen in the poem. The speaker accepts death as a friendly invitation when the time is right, rather than something that is bound to happen. The speaker then joins immortality, personified as a passenger in a carriage. Immortality simply cannot be a passenger as it is a non-living thing. The reasoning for this could be that immortality ties together the link between the speaker and death, ultimately introducing the voyage to come. The first stanza sets a precedent of a meter to follow throughout most of the poem. The first line contains eight

     In this sonnet, death is personified and shown as the speaker’s opponent in a struggle for her lover. Death is described as being coquettish and possessive. These attributes are used to describe death because they show how hard it would be to overcome this opponent. The descriptions show that death flirts with the man, in order to make him accept her. Once

In the poem “When I Have Fears That I May Cease to be,” John Keats reveals his overbearing fear of dying young. What if he never gets to feel the passions of true love? What if he never gets to write the mountains of books that he wishes to write? What if he never gets to experience the fame that he so desires? Fear of not being able to complete our goals before we die is a fear that lurks in the dark crevices of all of our minds. We must all find a way to fight this fear. Most people do it by blocking it out completely, but not Keats. Keats confronts his fear full force by announcing it to the public. Through the use of figurative language, such as repetition, imagery and personification, Keats leads us through a daunting journey of his greatest

The speaker in “Holy Sonnet 10” speaks to Death as a human. Death is a joke in the speaker's eyes. He continues to take shots at Death and says that it is not something to be afraid of. Poison, war, and sickness are aspects that death is associated with; therefore, it is not worthy of being around anyone or anything else. The speaker then says that

“Death be not proud” by John Donne personifies death, as its title aptly prescribes. Giving death human traits allows the writer to blast him with colorful images full of sarcasm and a tone of defiance. The ultimate message of the author provokes the human soul to resist the fear of death.

“A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,” by John Donne explores love through the ideas of assurance and separation. Donne uses vivid imagery to impart his moral themes on his audience. A truer, more refined love, Donne explains comes from a connection at the mind, the joining of two souls as one. Physical presence is irrelevant if a true marriage of the minds has occurred, joining a pair of lovers’ souls eternally.

In Death Be Not Proud, John donne describes his optimistic perspective on death. His first sentence is, "Death, be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so." Right off the bat he is showing his point that death has no reason to be feared like it is. He talks to death as if it were a person saying, Death, you can't kill me. His ending is explaining, all it is, is that we simply are awake, sleep for a short amount of time, and awake eternally, with everlasting life. his poem "Hymn to God, My God, In My Sickness", is also an uplifting view on death, and illness. In the first stanza he symbolises his religious beliefs. He compares himself to music saying he is God's music, or that he is to be used for God.

Is death a slave to fate or is it a dreaded reality? People differ on the opinion of death, some people view death as a new beginning which should not be feared, while many people perceive death as an atrocious monster. Death be not proud, by John Donne is a poem that challenges death and the idea of its ferocity. Donne’s work is greatly influenced by the death of his countless family members, friends and spouse. Donne was not only a poet, but he was also a priest in the Church of England, so his interest in religion and his belief in eternal life after death, also contributed greatly to his work. The poem Death be not proud, is a metaphysical poem about death, in which John Donne undermines, ridicules, and determines the meaning of death, according to his perspective.

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