Holy Sonnet 10 by John Donne (b. 1592-d.1631)
"Death, be not proud, though some have called thee"
Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so,
For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy, or charms can make us sleep as well,
And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
· Literary Device: Donne uses a form of personification known as apostrophe, the act of addressing an inanimate object, an idea, or an individual not present. In this case, death is the personified hearer.
Analysis: Death comes to all, but it has no reason to boast, according to Donne's Holy Sonnet X. Donne, of course, refers to the resurrection of Jesus Christ as recorded in Christian theology, a resurrection that makes death temporary.
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/homework-help-literature/69974-famous-quotes-from-john-donne/
Analysis of John Donne's Famous Poem: “For Whom the Bell Tolls” (an excerpt from “Meditation 17”)
written by: Trent Lorcher • edited by: SForsyth • updated: 12/12/2011
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/homework-help-literature/69485-for-whom-the-bell-tolls-john-donne-analysis/
Before doing a "For Whom the Bell Tolls" analysis, read and reread it. Donne is easier to understand if read OUT LOUD. I've provided a copy.
1. No man is an island,
2. Entire of itself.
3. Every man is a piece of the continent,
4. A part of the main.
5. If a clod be washed away by the sea,
6. Europe is the less.
7. As well as if a promontory were.
8. As well as if a manor of thy friend’s
9. Or of thine friend's were.
10. Any man's death diminishes me,
11. Because I am involved in mankind.
12. And therefore, never send to know
13. For whom the bell tolls,
14. It tolls for thee.
· slide 2 of 3
Poetic Devices
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1. There is no rhyme scheme or standard meter. The passage is from John Donne's Meditation XVII and was not initially a poem in and of itself.
2. Extended Metaphpor - Lines 1-4 compare a "man" to a piece of a continent.
3. Simile - Lines 5-9 contains a simile, comparing a clod being washed away by the sea to an individual's loss of life.
4. Allusion - Lines 12-13 contain an allusion. Before radios, newspapers, and TVs, major town events were announce by the tolling of the bells. The bell-tolling to which Donne refers in the poem would be funeral bells. A tolling bell is also a metaphor for someone dying.
5. Line Length - The short final line of the poem emphasizes the poem's message that when one dies, a part of everyone dies.
6. Word Choice - note the hard t-sound used in the last line contrasted with the rolling w and l sounds in the previous line. The change jolts the reader and adds further emphasis on the message in the last line.
7. Sounds within the Last Line - Further emphasis is placed on the last word as the harsh sounding long e jolts the reader after he's been lulled by the soft long o in tolls.
8. Anaphora - The repetition of words at the beginning of clauses or phrases occurs in lines seven and eight.
9. Alliteration - "Death diminishes" in line 10 draws attention to the poem's theme that all are connected and that when one suffers, all suffer.
· slide 3 of 3
Analysis Paragraph
John Donne in "For Whom the Bell Tolls" demonstrates the connection all humans have with one another. Lines 1-4 contain a metaphor comparing all living people to a continent. Lines 5-9 contains a simile explaining that when one piece of the continent washes away, regardless of size, then the entire continent is affected. Line one emphasizes this interconnectedness with the claim that "No man is an island." Donne draws further attention to the theme with sound devices: (1) the alliteration of "death diminishes in line 10 draws the reader's attention to the notion that death diminishes all; (2) the juxtaposition of Anglo-Saxon and Latin-sounding words bring added emphasis to thee in the last line, jolting the reader into reality and answering the question "For whom the bell tolls?"