Death be not proud Flashcards
- What are the figures of speech in “Death, be not proud”?
The poem is an example of apostrophe, addressing Death (personified) as a living
being who is thus listening to the speaker. This intentionally removes the mystery or
sense of superiority in the concept of death, making it seem as though death can be
easily defeated.
Allusion is used in the final line. 1 Corinthians 15:26 states, “The last enemy to be
destroyed is death.” This both echoes the sentiments of the poem, nothing that Death is
the enemy of humanity, and that Death has no power itself. Ultimately, those who
believe in Christ will defeat Death through salvation and eternal life. The speaker of this
poem notes that death is simply a “short sleep,” after which “we wake eternally / And
death shall be no more.”
A paradox is established in these lines:
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow
Die not
Death thinks it it possible to “overthrow,” or end the lives of, humanity. Another way to
rephrase this would be “The people you think you have killed are not dead .”
- Why does the poet feel that death is arrogant?
In this poem, the speaker directly addresses and mocks a personification of death. He
implies that “Death” is proud or arrogant because it thinks that it “overthrow(s)” its
victims. In other words, “Death” is arrogant because it thinks that it is able to completely
conquer the people it takes.
However, the speaker says that “Death” overthrows its victims only temporarily. The
speaker compares death to sleep, which is peaceful, restorative, and nothing to be
afraid of. The speaker also says that death is, in fact, ultimately a good thing in that it
brings about the “soul’s delivery” and the moment when “we awake eternally.” Here, the
poet is implying that death’s victory over mankind is really not a victory at all. Death
doesn’t overthrow its victims but rather helps them to move into the better world of the
afterlife, where the soul is free and life is eternal.
- What is the theme of the poem?
In this sonnet, often referred to by its first line or as “Holy Sonnet 10,” the speaker
directly addresses death, seeking to divest it of its powers and emphasize that man,
though fated to die, is more powerful than death itself. The poem paints a picture of
death as prideful—vain, even—and works to deflate death‟s importance by arguing
firstly that death is nothing more than a rest, and secondly that following this rest comes
the afterlife, which contradicts death‟s aim of bringing about a final end. With death‟s
powerlessness proven by the end of the poem, it is death itself, not man, who is going
to die.
Overall, the poem’s presents death as having just one function: to transition people
between life and the afterlife. With its fearsome power dispelled, death itself can die.
- What is the message of the poem?
The message for readers in “Death, be not proud” is that death is not actually the end
of life; it is, rather, a “short sleep” that punctuates the end of one’s earthly life before
one’s soul is delivered to eternal life with God. Death is actually the thing that dies
because once the soul “wake [s] eternally” there will be no more death.
- What are examples of figurative language?
Personification
The main figure of speech in Death be not Proud is the personification.
Death is given negative human traits: pride mainly, but also pretence and
inferiority.
Death is likened to sleep, a commonplace image. Donne doesn’t pursue this
image very far in the second quatrain, but then picks it up in the third, suggesting
that death can never be more than sleep. The final reference to sleep is in the
couplet: „One short sleep past’. Death really is no more than a short sleep. It has
been reduced step by step in this extended metaphor.
- Why does John Donne call death a slave?
The speaker continued to take all power away from Death, now being knocked down
from being in charge to being a slave. Death does not choose who to take or when to
take them, but is at the mercy of “fate, chance, kings and desperate men.”
- In the poem “Death, Be Not Proud,” death is represented as a lonely figure keeping
company with poison, war, and sickness. What does the poet imply by this?
Death can only take those who are meant to die, are in accidents, are in a war, or
perhaps even take their own life due to desperation. Death is not able to pick and
choose whom to take, reaffirmed in the following line claiming Death only resides with
“poison, war, and sickness.”
- Is the poet worried at the thought of his mortality?
No, the speaker pities Death and says that even the speaker will not truly die when
Death will arrive for him.
- What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
The poem is a Petrarchan, or Italian, sonnet. It is composed of 14 total lines. The first
eight lines have an ABBA ABBA rhyme scheme. The final six lines have a CDDC EE
rhyme scheme. However, it is worth taking noting the EE scheme of the final two lines
are made with off rhymes.
- What are two things that death is compared to?
The speaker compares Death to rest and sleep. He calls them the other images of
Death. He predicts Death to be more pleasant and delightful than rest and sleep. The
speaker calls those people “best men” who are taken away by Death. The reason for
this is because Death is nothing more but a means of the resting of these bodies and
the transformation of their souls to the eternal world.
