Sonnet X By John Donne Analysis

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

Elizabeth Bishop’s poem, ‘Sonnet’ bears little resemblance to its namesake at first glance. Bishop plays with our expectations, molding the well-known sonnet form into something new. She transforms the meter and rhyme scheme of the sonnet to the point of metamorphosis, but she retains the skeletal structure of the form; fourteen lines broken down into the customary octave and sestet. Her invocation and subsequent subversion of the anticipated poetic form provide her with a baseline to branch off from and without that context, the structure would not have the same effect on the poem’s meaning.

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.

     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

John Donne’s “Holy Sonnet 10” serves as both a direct address towards death, and as a sermon on what happens after death for those who practice Christianity. The speaker gives reassurance to those who may fear death and what comes afterwards. Even though the speaker is discussing a somber matter, the overall tone of the poem is uplifting thereby further challenging the typical way people view death. The speaker belittles death when he/she questions death’s magnitude and power over humans. Throughout the poem, the speaker compares death to a restful slumber. Rests are temporary states that bring “much pleasure” (Line 6). By relating death to sleep, the speaker says death is not permanent, but rather a momentary phase that ultimately will bring happiness. Death is a phase and after “one short sleep past, we wake eternally” (Line 13). This relates to the Christian belief

Death is often feared by people due to being unsure of what comes next. Some do not fear it at all due to the fact that there is an afterlife, and they will live on for the rest of eternity in a better place. The author of “Holy Sonnet 10,” John Donne, is a well known English poet who was famous during his time. His writing lived on for a few decades after his death, but soon went out of style. His writing did not become popular again until later in the nineteenth century. Dylan Thomas, writer of “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night,” was surrounded by poetry growing up. His father would read poetry to him before he was could read it himself. Thomas moved to London in his early twenties to continue his career as a successful poet. In “Holy Sonnet 10” and “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night,” Donne and Thomas have two completely different views on Death. Donne jokes about Death as if the thought of it does not even phase him, while Thomas considers Death as a terrifying thought.

John Donne’s poem “Death, Be Not Proud” speaks of the fear of death that humans display. Donne begins by telling death that he has no right to act proudly, even though he eventually conquers all living things. John includes an oxymoron in his poem when he states that death cannot kill him because, he argues, death only takes up a short time until he wakes eternally. So many people spend their whole lives worried to death of death, so this message of eternal life is very comforting to believers.

In his first quatrain, Donne approaches “Death” as if it was standing in front of him. In a defiant tone, he tells him “Death be not be proud…” (1). He builds his defiance by telling “Death” that, in spite of what others may have told him, he isn’t “mighty” (2) or “dreadful” (2). The sarcasm climaxes as Donne tells “Death” the reality that those whom he thinks he has slain really aren’t dead, nor can “Death” slay this

In “Holy Sonnet 14” by John Donne, dramatizes the conflict between contradictions and a relationship with 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.

Donne even goes so far as to command God to destroy the person he has

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.

     The sonnet, being one of the most traditional and recognized forms of poetry, has been used and altered in many time periods by writers to convey different messages to the audience. The strict constraints of the form have often been used to parallel the subject in the poem. Many times, the first three quatrains introduce the subject and build on one another, showing progression in the poem. The final couplet brings closure to the poem by bringing the main ideas together. On other occasions, the couplet makes a statement of irony or refutes the main idea with a counter statement. It leaves the reader with a last impression of what the author is trying to say.

Sonnet 6 is notable for the ingenious multiplying of conceits and especially for the concluding pun on a legal will in the final couplet: "Be not self-willed, for thou art much too fair / To be death's conquest and make worms thine heir." Here, as earlier in the sonnet, the poet juxtaposes the themes of narcissism and death, as well as procreation. "Self-willed" echoes line 4's "self-killed," and the worms that destroy the young man's dead body will be his only heirs should he die without begetting a child which shows the theme of death. The whole sonnet is about trying to persuade the man to have a baby hence the theme if procreation. And lastly, the man is being selfish in wanting to die without passing on his beauty.

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