ENGLISH DEATH BE NOT PROUD POEM BY John Donne

John Donne writes of a poem entitled death be not proud, this title is the spoken words; the words are
directed to death as if it is an individual, that is, death is personified. Moreover, Donne seems to have an
ego towards death in this poem.

The text type evidently is a poem because of verses and enjambment used. I believe not only is it a free
verse but even an elegy due to inconsistent rhyming and theme based on death consolation
respectively. Certainly, Donne on a second stanza mentions that some people ascribes death to be awful
and yet powerful event. Equally important, this text is a petrarchen sonnet, the rhyming couplet shows
an adapted Shakespearean sonnet.

Furthermore, the direct audience is almost every individual because death is part of life the world lives
with. Donne speaks with confidence that he is not afraid of death after all, whereas death is in general
feared for its calamities.

Moreover, content in this text is the confidence in Donne that death has no power to him in that he
expose that those who think of death may die, while him on the other hand will not die. Additionally, he
dispels that resting and sleeping depict the condition of death. This is true because both events are not
controlled by a conscious mind. Also, someone who is sleeping is not disturbed, it is a respected scenario
of peace and conversely, death is ascribed in the same manner. Correspondingly, Donne implies that
death is a resting moment for the bones and delivery of the soul; the bones according to religion signify
life of blood and flesh, whereas the soul is symbolizing the religious life based on belief and faith.
Furthermore, Donne exhibit that death does not really kill, because it only takes away canal and leaving
the soul alive forever. At the same time, death is explained to be an event of possibility, thereby
declared to be a slave to fate; kings may sentence one to death, attempted death by poisoning may
eventually arise, war and suffering from certain diseases ensuing to death may happen. In addition,
Donne refers to death as a short sleep, of which one will wake once again and death is therefore
powerless. The speaker ask death what there to be proud of then if it is incapable of bringing about the
end of life. In addition, repetition of death and die, mostly used as terms of address, is mockery of the
two; Donne disrespects death and dying. To add on, the statement, 'Death, thou shalt die' because of a
comma after the mentioning of death, makes the final statement which seems to bring upon more
drama, increases tension, and shalt of which is a modal verb in this case seems more commanding
thereby exhibiting that the speaker holds the power. Furthermore, the semantic field of the words;
dreadful, bones, slave, poison, war, sickness expose a negative imagery signifying suffering. Donne
further says that if sleep is enjoyable, then death is enjoyable because it is more than what sleep is.

Equally important, the tone used in this poem has brought about an impact on the reader. There is a
calm tone when Donne expose death to be similar to sleep, because both scenarios result in the rest for
the bones. This tone distils an empowered mood in that when one is from a sleep, they feel energized
and restored to some power, notably death is relieving one from the earthly struggles.

Moving on, the stylistic devices used in this text are; symbolism in that death is exposed to be identical
to sleep because both events unconsciously happen. Donne then suggest that death should not really be
feared considering it is a form of sleep. More on symbolism, death is also viewed to be a slave to fate in
that there is not a certainty of when will death occur. Moreover, there is repetition of the words death
and die, this implies that Donne is mocking those words. Additionally, the words; dreadful, bones, slave,
poison, war, sickness expose a negative imagery signifying suffering. In the same manner, the informal
addresses used; thee, thou and thy imply Donne sees himself as on a level of power as death,
considering those words are casually used. Also, there is the use of rhetorical question; 'why swell'st
thou then?’

By the same token, the global issues are centered on the notion of culture, belief and identity; death is
viewed by various cultures an issues which promotes indigence and suffering. In this text, death is
disclosed to be not as distressing and tense, rather it is exhibited to bring about a relieving stage of
afterlife.

In addition, the concept of perception is brought to close view by the notion that death is seen as a
sleep for the bones, and is again seen to be powerless as it cannot overcome nature. Moreover, the
identity concept is represented by the idea of rest and sleep, while death is in nature cruel, whereas the
text is implying that it is a slave to fate.

In conclusion, sonnets are mostly used to express love, however, in this text, holy sonnet is used to talk
about death.