Questions about poem 'Holy Sonnet X' also known as 'Death be not proud'?

Question

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 picture[s] 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'rt 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.

What are your thoughts on this poem? what structure or image does it give you?what is the purpose of this poem? tell me whatever you want about the poem. i just want your opinions and ideas.

Answer 1

Well, I did a little research on the writer, John Donne. Apparently this version has been "spell-checked" and cleaned up a little, and there are other versions out there. John was a Catholic, then stopped being as devout, then came back to religion later on. So we know that it is written from a Christian standpoint. The entire sonnet personifies Death, with such phrases as "be not proud," (also "why swell'st thou then" also referring to feeling proud and "swelled up" or "stuck up" as we would say it) as death as an event cannot literally have human feelings. Another phrase showing personification is when death is called a "slave to Fate," as death is not a person and cannot literally be enslaved. Another phrase which personifies death is "thy stroke" which refers to a stroke of a sword or a weapon by a soldier or warrior. Obviously death could not literally swing a sword. One note I read on the internet said "poppy" refers to "opium" - a drug that made users sleep for hours or even days after ingesting it, appearing to be nearly as unconscious as if the person were dead, so Donne is saying there are other conditions which mimic or imitate death, so it doesn't have anything to boast of as it's not entirely original in its effects. This is an interesting poem because you can either read it as coming from a dignified, stubborn reader who believes faith in God and the resurrection conquers all, or it could be read with a much more emotional, desperate slant. If Donne was already middle-aged when he wrote this, then he had already seen many deaths in his life. If it were written immediately after the death of a loved one, it might take on a sort of vengeful, reproving tone. The last two lines are very strong to close the poem - the poet says "we wake eternally" and then "Death shall be no more" - this could either refer to passing into heaven or the kingdom of God where there is no death, or else it could also refer to a future resurrection. As a Catholic, it is more likely he was simply thinking of a simpler passage into heaven. "Death, thou shalt die" is like a strong judgment and may be referring to also the end of death aftere the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the Resurrection, as when all men are resurrected, we will inherit immortality and have perfect bodies, never to pass through extreme sickness or death again. I am not as strong on Catholic doctrine and dogma as I am on Mormon doctrine, but that is my take on it.

Answer 2

I majored in lit in college. i could say for this poem, you decide on some historic past on the poet. It starts off out kinda unhappy, with the view. 'Futures i've got divorced' maximum like refers to abandoned hopes and objectives. The 'do no longer look back' and knife reference is probable approximately getting over painful strategies. That it now no longer cuts implies desire. Or probable numbness. The stuff on complacency probable means he feels he permit somebody down with the help of no longer doing something he could desire to have finished. consequently the accusatory voices. The final paragraph is a little extra complicated. My experience is that the narrator found out his existence classes and acted consequently, consequently the sizeable reward. This guy sounds like a soldier to me. one that believes that no longer taking action at some mandatory 2d brought about others harm. Now he's became that strategies-set around, and located some peace. He gave up previous and futile tries and took a distinctive way of residing, and he's beginning up to discover his existence extra useful. i do no longer frequently like poems, yet my mothers and dads spents hundreds that they did no longer have so i ought to study to interpret then. i'm extra approximately novels, nevertheless. back, you will probable earnings from understanding something of this author's existence. This one is somewhat own, previous the standard experience of the sweetness and cruelty of the worldwide I in many situations see in lesser poems.