Death be not proud - W;t

Question 1

Intro

Answer 1

Edson recycles and critiques Donne’s intellectual approach by showing its limitations in modern secularism.

Question 2

1: Vivian tries to impose order like Donne but ultimately fails

Answer 2

“Nothing but a breath—a comma—separates life from life everlasting”
→ Juxtaposition

Question 3

2: Vivian believes knowledge = control, but it isolates her

Answer 3

Vivian’s assertion: “I know all about life and death. I am, after all, a scholar of Donne’s metaphysical poetry.” → Irony, fourth-wall break

Question 4

3: Rejecting Donne’s intellectualism, embracing human connection

Answer 4

Vivian’s shift: “Now is a time for simplicity. Now is a time for, dare I say it, kindness.” → Repetition, contrast

Question 5

4: Rejecting intellectual superiority, unlike Donne who clings to theology

Answer 5

Final moment: “take it off. like a crown” → Simile, symbolism

Question 6

Conclusion

Answer 6

Edson reconstructs Donne’s reasoning to expose its inadequacy in a secular world, prioritizing human warmth over metaphysical argumentation.