Batter My Heart By John Donne

Batter My Heart By John Donne
I picked this poem because I really like it and I find the imagery intriguing, but I knew I was not
understanding all of what Donne was saying in the poem. I could tell that if I understood these
particular lines, the meaning of the poem would be richer and more meaningful. I have achieved my
goal, and think I have a better grasp on what Donne was getting at than I did before.
"Batter my heart" is one of Donne's religious sonnets with 14 lines. His rhyme scheme is ABBA
ABBA CDCD EE, which is a bit different than what I am used to seeing in an English style sonnet.
Donne seems to put his turns earlier in his sonnets, as well, more like a Petrarchan sonnet. English
sonnets tend to put their turns before the couplet, whereas Petrarchan ... Show more content on
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The speaker uses the word "breathe" next. 'Breath' in the Christian tradition is how God gave life to
man in Genesis, but though the word evokes that meaning, I do not know if that image is supposed
to be the one we stick with. A particular meaning that might be interesting to consider that the OED
catalogues is 'to pant, to desire after,' which would have been a contemporary meaning to Donne. It
keeps with the gentleness of this series of words, but seems to show God's motivations for pursuing
the speaker, as well.
"Shine" and "seek to mend" show that God is trying to be gentle with the speaker. It is this very
gentleness that the speaker is critiquing because it has not worked. In lines 3–4, the sentence
continues, "[t]hat I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend / Your force, to break, blow, burn and
make me new." First, the speaker juxtaposes "rise and stand" against "o'erthrow me, and bend." If
the speaker is to stand, presumably against sin, then he must be overthrown, and God must bend His
force against the speaker. The construction of the list in line 4 exactly reflects the previous list in
line 2. The speaker instructs to "break" instead of knock, to "blow"
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

Theme Of Death Be Not Proud
Death be not proud is a sonnet written by the poet John Donne (1572–1631) which was published
after he died mainly in 1633. The exact year of the poem is quite ambiguous, as none of his works
were published during his lifetime (Patricia Garland Pinka, 2010). John Donne is known as the
greatest English love poet of the Renaissance Period and often considered as the founder of the
metaphysical poets (Poet.org) for his involvement in both love and religions. For say, he is referred
as someone who "affects the metaphysics, not only in his satires, but in his amorous verses, where
nature only should reign; and perplexes the minds of the fair sex with nice speculations of
philosophy, when he should engage their hearts, and entertain them with the ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Again, Death is to be considred as a trivial matter as he doesn't come by himself, but rather by "fate,
Chance, Kings, and desperate men" or with the help of notorious drugs like "poison, warre, and
sicknesse dwell". It appears like the narrator doesn't think that one

Death Be Not Proud Poem
Where Donne in his poem, try to celebrate death for his said lack of power on life, providing a 360
degree change of what most of the common people think of death. This poem can also be perceived
as act of ego from the poet which may be interpreted as Donne considering himself superior to what
it is believed Adam from the bible brings by his disobedience from God i.e. death. The poem ends in
a paradox "And death shall be more; Death, thou shalt die". It seems like the speaker is addressing a
funeral oration to death, which is quite absurd as who can kill death? But we can associate this
belief to the sayings in the Bible about God being supreme "The last enemy that shall be destroyed
is death" (Corinthians 1). The structure of the poem is ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
By addressing the poem to death and using words like "thee", "thou" and "thy" when referring to
him, it confirms the use of personification in his poem. Another figure of speech which is quite
popular n this poem is apostrophe as Donne is referring to death as "Mighty and dreadful" or "poore
death". This aspect of the poet in his writing is being detached from reality and address an imagery
character which here is death, is defined as apostrophe (Literacy.net). However, Donne seems to
make a clear distinction when referring to death as a noun and when addressing death as a person.
This is observed in the last line of the poem where both words are stated but seem to have different
meanings. The first one appears to be referring to death like the event of dying which the speaker
thinks shall no more exist while the second one is like pointing fingers at death and telling him that
he shall die. Donne makes use of metaphor to compare the apparent peacefulness of death to the
state of "rest and sleepe". This idea is extended when referring to the "rest of their [best men] bones"
and also the use of "poison, warre" and "poppie or charmes". Rather than death being the master of
life and time, for it can happen anytime to anyone, Donne makes him bears other masters like "Fate,
Chance" by calling him "slave". Again, this is revealed through the use of metaphor. Another
important figure of speech used by Donne

Essay on John Donne's Sonnet 14
John Donne's poetry reflects many things about him as a poet. Mainly, that his poetry reflects his
character make–up as he writes the poem. In the later years of his life, he entered into a religious
stage that he continued with until his death in 1631. Sonnet 14 is an example of his religious period,
where he is "besieged" and asks God to come into his life in a very real way. His use of parallelism,
powerful diction and syntax, and paradox presents thoughts on this subject in an umatched way and
stresses the depth of his feelings in this sonnet. (Please infer that references of God refer to the
Trinity)
Donne uses the Trinity in a couple of ways in Sonnet 14. His first example of the Trinity is seen in
line two. The Trinity or ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This is not an actual physical apparition, but it will appear to others that the Light of Heaven shines
through a person by their actions and beliefs. Donne wants this light to shine from him. He wants to
be seen by others as a believer, a born–again Christian. It must be his belief that he does not act as
believer, a Christian and that he does not believe as they do. And now he wants the Holy Spirit to
enter his life and shine through him.
Line two describes exactly how the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is to come into
his life. The Trinity broken up, is to go to work for separate parts of his lost soul, so that he may be
saved. Donne then cries out to the Trinity, for it to seek to mend him. Mending in this sonnet refers
to his broken soul. Donne feels that his broken soul needs to be rebuilt by the "three–personed God"
who he addresses in line one.
It is also possible, that knock could represent what God is supposed to do with your soul, and shine
is what Jesus does with your soul. It is mentioned in the Old Testament how the power of God, in
God's people could knock down the walls of cities. The Old Testament God was often viewed as one
that is "breaking" His people, which is a sign of His power in peoples' hearts. Jesus, who is the Son,
could also be represented as the Sun, which shines. Son and Sun are homonyms and that would be
the implication that shine is

Life Is Not What It Seems
Life is not What It Seems Emily Dickinson, Countee Cullen and John Donne live different lives.
Emily Dickinson tells listeners in "Tell All the Truth but Tell It Slant", that they should live a happy
life, instead of settle for only looking at the negatives. She does tell readers that humans are too
infirm and she is absolutely right. Countee Cullen and John Donne are perfect examples of this in
"Incident" "Yet do I marvel" and "Holy Sonnet 14" where they are suffering and weak. There is
always a conflict or tragedy that crashes on people, and some people it is hard for them to get to a
place in life that they want to be in. Some things people never get over it, and that is what makes
them weak. In "Tell All the Truth, But Tell It Slant" by Emily Dickinson, she tells us to live life to its
full potential. No matter how much one is struggling they should always live a fantastic life, because
life is too beautiful to lose. The message of this poem is to not let weakness live vicariously through
an individual. Also that the humanity cannot grasp the true beauty of life. Since individuals always
focused on the negatives of things they are too fragile to handle what beauty life beholds.
Individuals mourn they sulk and Emily wants them to move on from that. Since they are a delicate
Emily writes "Too bright for our infirm Delight The Truth's superb surprise (Emily Dickinson)."
Yes, Emily is right humans are too infirm to handle what power life has over them. Life needs to
come

Romeo And Juliet Analysis
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a very popular play that most people recognize for its ability to
display true love, fate, and revenge all in one play. This was a romantic tragedy that shows the
adversities faced by two young adults who fall in love at first sight, While comparing "Romeo and
Juliet", "The Holy Sonnet 18", and "The Bait" all use religious imagery and the purity of love
throughout all three of these works. Throughout this piece I will analyze and break down a specific
passage in the text that highlights the religious imagery in the play the most while comparing it to
the religious imagery used in Donne's "Holy Sonnet 18" and "The Bait". l argue that and show how
Shakespeare and Donne are successful in their writing pieces because they are able to create a sense
of love that does not only rely on passion but the ability to use religion as a way of showing the
purity that a person could have for their beloved, whether a partner or a religious sense of purified
love that is shared. In the specific passage that I have chosen comes directly from Act 1 scene 5 of
Romeo and Juliet. This is the beginning of the play when Romeo and Benvolio go to the ball where
he meets Juliet for the first time. The two come in contact and quickly learn that it is love at first
sight even though they are from families of the opposing side. The portion of the passage that I have
chosen to highlight takes place when the couple meet and exchange their vows of love and agree
that they should take each other hand in marriage the next day. William Shakespeare begin to use
religious imagery to express the love of these two young people in Act 1 of Scene 5, although these
two have just met in this scene Shakespeare uses a pilgrim as a metaphor to use to compare Romeo
to. In this scene the pilgrim is used show that Romeo is moving towards Juliet's shrine which is also
another sacred religious term. Romeo is used in line 105 to even make reference to a prayer that he
must recite while he is kissing Juliet's sacred lips, and also he states in a particular portion of this
passage that "Now my sin has been taken from my lips by yours (Shakespeare line 106).
Shakespeare uses a form of reverse psychology to suggest that in order

In Donne's Poetry the Religious and the Erotic are...
'In Donne's Poetry the religious and the erotic are dangerously confused.' Discuss.
John Donne's Holy Sonnets were a series of metaphysical poems written during the early 17th
Century while he was converting to Anglicism from Roman Catholicism. Sonnet 14, known as
"Batter my heart, three person'd God", documents how Donne desires God to exercise his mastery
over him in order to banish his qualms from his mind, which are manifested in the "reason" or
"enemy". However, the language that Donne utilises suggest a desperate and non–consensual sexual
relationship with God, as though the doubts must be banished with force so great that he is unable to
resist. While the erotic and religious are confused, the confusion is only mildly ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
While this was written post–Elizabethan times during the reign of James the first, traditionally and
largely the woman was still confined to housework. Overall, this critic suggests a useful argument
concerning the necessary form and purpose of the poem.
Structurally, the sonnet disregards the Petrarchan form of creating a problem in the first two
quatrains before solving them in the final sestet. The sestet begins with 'yet dearely'I love you, and
would be lov'd faine'6. The term 'yet' should entail a reversal, yet Donne goes to merely insert what
nearly amounts to a tautology by saying he loves God, and loves him like a temple. Donne is
resisting the generic rules set down by other men to bring himself closer to a love of God, almost as
though he is resisting the rulebook of poetry in order to follow the rules of God with greater
strength.
Margaret Cayward calls to attention the phrase "no end"7 as being an anagram for "Donne",
"reinforcing the simile of the poet as a captured town by spelling out the poet's name"8. This is a
further way that Donne represents himself in the poem as a slave to God's system, as though he
intends to become entrapped so completely in it that his name and identity become contorted in
order to bend to it. As such, this reflects the way he becomes "betroth'd", since in marriage the name
of the bride (typically the submissive) changes to accommodate the man, so in both an

Holy Sonnet 10 Figurative Language Essay
John Donne fulfills his reputation as one of the greatest English poets by utilizing figurative devices
throughout all of his literary masterpieces. With the talent of capturing images and communicating
his messages through figurative language, one poetic piece in particular is proof of his talent. In his
acclaimed Holy Sonnet 10, he focuses on his opinion of Death by using figurative language,
imagery, and symbolism. Donne immediately commences Holy Sonnet 10 by personifying Death as
well as using metaphors to show Death how insignificant it is. In specific, Donne tells Death to "be
not proud, though some have called thee / Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so" (1–2). Here,
Donne is confronting Death to declare that he is not as immensely impactful as he thinks he is.
Throughout the poem, Donne is speaking to Death and at some point he metaphorically compares
Death to "rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, much pleasure" (5–6). To continue to belittle
Death, Donne compares him to rest and sleep which both are nothing but peaceful and harmless. Not
only are these two harmless, but Donne also mentions that when woken from these pleasurable and
peaceful functions, they will "wake ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In these specific lines of imagery, you can notice how belittled Death is and at some point, you
might even feel the smallest sense of sympathy towards Death. Moreover, these lines of imagery
depict an image that demonstrates a dark and unpleasant mood as well. He captures the image which
reverses the role of Death to one where it becomes lesser than all of the mentioned categories.
Donne focused this large piece of imagery towards the end to leave Death on a sour note and make
his words more

Analysis Of John Donne 's Holy Sonnet Xiv
In "Holy Sonnet XIV," John Donne directly addresses God using a desperate and forceful tone. The
formal structure of Donne 's holy sonnet follows the basic Petrarchan sonnet form. The sonnet has
fourteen lines divided into an octave and a sestet. The rhyme scheme of the octave is abba abba. The
sestet has the rhyme scheme cdcdee. Donne expresses his spiritual turmoil and longing by using this
structure to present different metaphors that illustrate his condition, and he uses Petrarchan
conventions to further highlight his spiritual desires. The octave introduces and illustrates the
spiritual difficulty that Donne finds himself in trapped in, and wants God to take him out of. The
first line starts with Donne 's desperate and urgent command to God to "batter" or violently beat his
"heart" (1). Donne uses the metaphor of his heart as a metal object, and God as a metal smith to
support this command. Donne 's heart is a broken object that the metal smith has gently stroked,
breathed on to shine, and polished, in order to fix the broken parts. However, Donne claims that this
is not enough. The metal smith needs to "break, blow, burn" in order to make the object "new" (4).
The metal smith must apply more force to shatter the object, and then place it into the fire to melt, so
the metal can be purified and new. Donne seems to be telling God that his heart is too broken by sin
to be mended through God 's normal ways of opening the heart to faith again. God needs to "bend"

The Poems of John Donne and George Herbert: Presenting a...
The ideas that are received from the poems of John Donne and George Herbert present us with a
very distinct view on God, and more generally, religion. Both were writing in the late 1500s and
early 1600s; however the methodologies used by each are very distinct. George Herbert (1593 –
1633), born later than John Donne (1572 – 1631), largely followed Donne's poetic style, however
incorporating slight changes: the diction that is evident in Herbert's poetry is much simpler than
Donne's diction, and the metaphors are also easier to comprehend. What both have in common, is
the colloquial manner, the logic arrangement of the poems argument and therefore the persuasive
nature of the poetry. In Donne's poetry, this logical arrangement ... Show more content on
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An example of this is Herbert's looking towards the Bible for stylistic inspiration rather than to alien
imagery and ideas of Donne. Another very important and distinctive characteristic of the poetry is
Herbert's introduction of two quiet final lines, resolving the previously mentioned argument within
the poem, without answering any specific points mentioned. The doubts in faith and religion are
expressed in intellectual terms by Donne, and the argument is answered in this intellectual style too.
Herbert, although occasionally exploring the doubts in an intellectual manner, answers his doubts
with emotion. In this specific way, Herbert conveys an explicit insight that one is unable to argue or
reason with God; one is aware of God's presence or one lacks this awareness and guidance. This
expression of doubt and the lack of emotion mitigated by Donne in his poetry can be seen as John
Carey's view on this topic. The different developments which their poetic works underwent
throughout both poets career is also another point which must be considered. Donne transformed the
love poetry he wrote in his early days, beginning in 1617 with the death of his wife Anne More, to
religious poetry with a strong sense of awareness of death and its import. This poetic development
from classical poetry to more personal poetry reflects the events that marked his own life, and can
be traced throughout his poetry. This kind of personal and thereby

Death In Edson's 'Death, Be Not Proud'
Death is a theme that is used all too often in literature. Usually when people encounter death, they
come to expect certain feelings. Whether someone they know has passed away, or they are just
reading a play in which someone dies; death is often associated with feelings of anger, depression,
and denial. In a play titled Wit, Margaret Edson depicts stages of dying through a woman who is
diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In his holy sonnet "Death, Be Not Proud", John Donne challenges
death in a way that illustrates his belief that there is an afterlife. In Donne's sonnet, the ways in
which the quatrains and couplets are set up summarize the speaker's faith in the certainty of the
afterlife and the end of death (Ardolino). Edson and Donne definitely ... Show more content on
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In this sonnet, Donne shows the reader that he believes in an afterlife. He writes, "One short sleep
past, we wake eternally / And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die" (13–14). This means
that once something or someone dies, they wake up in a short time and live eternally in an afterlife.
In Donne's time period, many people believed in an afterlife, so this wouldn't have been something
new for them to read. If everything that dies actually wakes up again eternally, this means the only
thing that really dies, is Death. One can also come to expect to see a large amount of literary forms
and devices used in Donne's sonnets. According to Ardolino, "Each of the quatrains is composed of
one sentence that Donne artfully extends over the four lines, thus imparting a sense of unity and
development." Before reading Donne, people can expect to encounter well–structured stanzas with
couplets and quatrains placed

John Donne Research Paper
John Donne is one of the most influential metaphysical poets of his time. Donne wrote a variety of
poetry that includes, Satires, Songs and Sonnets, and later his Holy Sonnets. The nature of Donne's
poetry often stems from his Christian beliefs that directly show what he believes true in many
aspects of life. Donne's writings often encompass his religious and philosophical beliefs, which tie
into, what he believes about love and death. Donne's religious and philosophical beliefs as well as
the circumstances, he was born into greatly influenced the content of his poetry. Donne grew up in a
Catholic family and had Jesuit relatives and teachers during a time when the Catholic's were being
persecuted. Donne attended Oxford and Cambridge University ... Show more content on
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Donne grew up around death, such as the death of his younger brother who died of a fever in prison
as well as the death of his wife who died during childbirth, these circumstances as well as his
Christian belief of eternal life are likely responsible for the way Donne views death For instance, in
his poem Death Be Not Proud, Donne personifies death and the speaker tells the reader to not be
afraid of death because it ultimately has no power and is comparable to the type of peace felt in rest
or sleep and then goes on to explain that death is more like a sleep before going into eternity. Donne
writes, "One short sleep past, wee wake eternally, and death shall be no more; death thou shalt die"
(Donne 13–14). Amy Cothran compares this type of message to Paul in Bible, "Donne, echoing
Paul's counsel to give us a true victory song that emboldens at the same time that it comforts"(103–
104). Although Donne believes one should not fear death, he does not deny that the death of
someone can have a deep effect on a person. For example, Donne's poem A Nocturnal Upon St.
Lucy's Day in centered around how death can leave one feeling as if they are dead. he writes, "For I
am every dead thing" and " I, by Love's limbec, am the grave, Of all that's nothing" ( Donne, 12, 21–
23). The lovers death affects the speaker to the extent of him feeling as if " 'she is the light' and the
'body' upon whom he depended for both presence and illumination, her death has left him not only
physically but emotionally emptied' "(Hollingsworth 94). Another poem in which Donne explains
how the death of another person can deeply affect someone is in Mediation Seventeen. In this poem
Donne opens talking about a funeral bell, which is a metaphor for death, he then goes on to explain
"the bell calls us all" and then asks, "But who can remove it from that bell, which is passing a piece
of himself out of this world" (Donne 1.12, 2.9).

Analysis Of John Donne 's ' The Stuart Period '
Khalie Shields
The Stuart Period
Tracy Sedinger
09/12/14
Unacceptably Acceptable John Donne was an exceptional English poet of the early seventeen
hundreds. He seemed to be a man of mostly sonnets and erotic literature. Most of his work is made
up of poetry filled with religion, love and of course sexual activity. Donne was very different
compared to his contemporaries and colleagues. He was known for a lot of dynamic language that
was bold and vibrant, and was extremely creative with his metaphors. Donne's poetry typically
encompassed an abrupt opening followed by one contradiction and paradox after another. He strived
to break the mold of what the English society thought about sonnets. It seems that way because
many of his poems do not follow the typical structure. One poem in particular that seems to
represent Donne exceptionally well is Holy Sonnet 14. The story in the poem is basically about a
man talking to God, in a rather curious way I might add, asking him to come inside him and restore
his soul. The only typical thing about this sonnet is that it has fourteen lines. On another hand, the
rhyme scheme is highly irregular. It unusually starts out with elements of an Italian sonnet with the
rhyme abba abba. Donne ends the poem with the rhyming couplet cdcd cdcd cc which brings back
the English elements. The poem also has three quatrains before the couplet at the end, which are
three groups of four lines. Normal iambic pentameter starts with an unstressed syllable

Sonnet X By John Donne Analysis
Socrates once said: "[...]For anything that men can tell, death may be the greatest good that can
happen to them: but they fear it as if they knew quite well that it was the greatest of evils. And what
is this but that shameful ignorance of thinking that we know what we do not know?" ("Socrates")
Sonnet X by John Donne discusses the idea that people fear death without just cause, simply
because humans are terrified of that which they cannot comprehend. In his poem, Donne
communicates this messages by means of conceit, personification, and witty wordplay.
Donne is known for writing metaphysical poetry; his writing included lots of conceits, and Sonnet X
is no exception. The metaphysical conceit featured in this poem compares death to sleep. "From rest
and sleep, which but thy pictures be, / Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,"
(Donne. Lines 5–6) This couplet articulates that, because death is merely a stronger, much more
permanent version of sleep, it should not be feared; if sleep is pleasurable, then why should death
not be viewed similarly? After all, as Donne continues in lines 11 and 12, sleep induced by drugs
such as opium, which is derived from poppies, and charms can provide rest akin to or even better
than death. So why then, the speaker asks in line 12, is Death so prideful? The following mention of
sleep takes a religious angle; "One short sleep past, we wake eternally" (Line 13) refers to the
interim between a person's death and Judgement Day, when the soul proceeds to Heaven to "live
eternally," provided the person lived a righteous lifestyle. Thus, this line means that death is not the
end, per se, but rather the beginning of eternal life in Heaven. While Donne was not the first to
compare death and sleep, this conceit helps communicate that death should not be feared, for it is
much the same as sleep, and marks the beginning of one's eternal stay in the Pearly Gates.
Wordplay and wit are abundant in Sonnet X; in several instances, the word "death' is used in three
different ways in the same line! The poem is an apostrophe, the speaker is directing his words at
Death, so obviously, there is personification throughout. This, along with metaphors and other
figures of speech, allows

Death Be Not Proud
COURSE # AND TITLE: ENGL 102–D11: Literature and Composition
SEMESTER OF ENROLLMENT: Spring 2013
NAME: Greg Mohnkern ID: L23191458
WRITING STYLE USED: Essay of poetry (MLA style)
Thesis Statement:
"Death be not proud" by John Donne personifies death, as its title aptly prescribes. Giving death
human traits allows the writer to blast him with colorful images full of sarcasm and a tone of
defiance. The ultimate message of the author provokes the human soul to resist the fear of death.
Outline:
Introduction: Thesis statement
Transition: Discuss the writer's life in relationship to the subject of the poem
Body:
Discuss the poem's form based on the 14–line Petrarch sonnet
Evaluate the mood and tone as it ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Donne's poem is written in the traditional 14–line format of a sonnet, "which was the vogue... in
England at the end of the sixteenth century" according to authors Kennedy and Gioia in Literature:
An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry , Drama and Writing ( 574). Donne lived from 1572–1631
(Kennedy 744). "The sonnet owes much of its prestige to Petrarch," (Kennedy 574) an Italian poet.
"English poets ...(eventually) worked out their own rhyme scheme," (Kennedy 574) which would
explain why this isn't a true Patrarchan sonnet. Donne's penned work naturally breaks his thoughts
and the poem into three quatrains and a couplet. His thoughts come to a conclusion after lines 4, 8
and 14 with the use of periods, as well as a question mark for line 12, noting the end–stops. The
rhyme scheme in American English is abba, abba, cddc ae, but if spoken with an English accent, the
final couplet could reasonably be interpreted as aa, which would appear to be more likely.
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

What Is The Tone Of Death Be Not Proud
John Donne's sonnet "Death Be Not Proud" uses poetic devices to portray a message to the reader.
The speaker begins by telling death not to feel proud because although some consider it "mighty and
dreadful," the speaker believes otherwise. The poem then goes on to compare rest and sleep to death
saying that if they are pleasurable, then death itself must be as well. He claims that it's the best men
who go soonest to rest their bones and enjoy the delivery of their souls. The speaker then continues
to degrade death, claiming that it is a slave to "fate, chance, kings, and desperate men," and is forced
to rely on war, poison, and sickness. If poppies and charms can put men to rest as well or better than
death, then death should not be proud. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
." In essence, Donne is telling death that it has no basis for bragging and being "proud," because it is
not the ominous, frightening force it would make itself out to be. The speaker's tone is almost
belittling; his purpose is to cut arrogant death down to size. n order to convey his message, Donne
relies heavily on personification, specifically the personification of death. Throughout the entirety of
the sonnet, death is spoken to as though it were a person. The speaker passionately degrades and
insults death, telling it that there is no reason for its pride. Donne's use of personification in this
poem increases the strength of the speaker's argument because the poems insults are directed at
someone. If Donne were to just list the reasons of degradation for example, I do not think the sonnet
would be as effective or captivating. Another literary device used by the speaker is an extended
metaphor when comparing death and sleep. Donne states that if he only wants a good sleep, death is
not need; he can use poppy or charms. In line thirteen the extended metaphor continues when he
calls the time between the speaker's death and the day of judgment a short sleep. This metaphor is
used by Donne to further imply the

Views on Colonialism in Donne's Elegy XIX and Wroth's...
Views on Colonialism in Donne's Elegy XIX and Wroth's Sonnet 22
Introduction
In the midst of Lady Mary Wroth's sonnet cycle, a sudden reference to the colonialist discoveries of
dark skinned natives appears. Bringing to mind her participation in Jonson's "Masque of Blackness,"
she depicts dark–skinned Indians worshipping the sun as their god. In the midst of her ruminations
on love and her preoccupations with her unfaithful lover, Amphilanthus, this sonnet touches on
issues close to her personal life as well as some of the preoccupations of her era on the nature of
colonialism. In particular the role of religion in England's colonialist efforts was of prime
importance. An examination of John Donne's Elegy XIX, "To His Mistris ... Show more content on
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Over 300 settlers were killed, however the main settlement was spared due to the last minute
warning delivered by the Indians who had been converted by the missionary efforts of the colonists
(www.apva.org). In May of this same year, Donne was made an honorary member of the Virginia
Company. However, he was not "by either gift or subscription, an adventurer or shareholder"
(Johnson 130–131).
Of critical importance to understanding the depth of Donne's preoccupation with this issue of
colonialism is the sermon he delivered on November 13, 1622 before the Virginia Company. It was
immediately published as "A Sermon vpon the VIII. Verse of the I. Chapter of the Acts of the
Apostles" (Johnson 135). The sermon itself is often considered the "first missionary sermon ever
preached in England" (Johnson 128). Donne admonishes the investors of the Virginia Company for
not placing their duties as missionaries above, or even equal to, their economic interests. "O, if you
would be as ready to hearken at the return of a ship, how many Indians were converted to Christ
Jesus, as what trees, or drugs, or dyes that ship had brought, then you were in your right way, and
not till then" (Donne 229).
Johnson makes the argument in his article, "Donne and the Virginia Company," that Donne's sermon
was delivered at a critical time in the history of the Virginia Company.

Professor Vivian Bearing vs John Donne in the Play Wit by...
Is it possible to misunderstand something, yet still be guided toward its claims? Is it possible for
something that ultimately has the greatest impact on your life to be unnoticed until the last possible
moment? In most cases, a true revelation does not present itself until later in a person's life. In the
play Wit, by Margaret Edson, the character of Professor Vivian Bearing reaches a profound
realization concerning one of the great impacts in her own life. Vivian, self–proclaimed intellectual
and widely–feared professor, essentially devotes her life to the works of John Donne, a renowned
metaphysical poet. She tirelessly prides herself on her exceptional skills and experience with
analyzing Donne's works, even in the midst of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It seems that Vivian subconsciously incorporates Donne's own religious journey into her own
struggle. If the reader doesn't first realize this, it is evident in Vivian herself towards the end of the
play.
Vivian shows her relation to Donne rather early on in the play, however. As she observes the doctors
and physicians examining her, she makes a connection between the manner in which they study her
body and the manner in which she studies poetry. She refers to the doctors' rounds of examining
when she states, "In Grand Rounds, they read me like a book. Once I did the teaching, now I am
taught" (Edson 32). This is Vivian's first step towards her ultimate realization. In Donne's work,
"Hymn to God, My God, in my Sickness," more connections can be made between Vivian and
Donne's speaker. Just like the speaker in the poem, Vivian sees her body as the doctors' map to
study. "...my physicians..cosmographers, and I their map, who lie flat on this bed" (Donne lines 1–
2).
A major focus point of Wit has to do with pride, and the conversion that Vivian undergoes at the
end. Likewise, pride is also prominent in Donne's writings. He emphatically views it as evil and the
root of human sin. He believes it to be so deeply rooted that only God's intervention can dig it out,
so to speak. Donne would presume that Vivian's suffering during her ovarian cancer is a means to a
correction, and ultimately, salvation. In "Batter My Heart," one of Donne's sonnets that can be

When I Consider How My Light Is Serpent Figurative Language
God in the perspectives of poetry can take on many forms. In the English sonnet "Holy Sonnet 14"
by John Donne the writers portray a person who is talking and praying to God to tear him down and
break him down to be able to serve God, while the sonnet "When I Consider How My Light Is
Spent" by John Milton the writer portrays a person very similar to the condition of himself he is
questioning God about making him unable to serve God. In both sonnets the serving God is the main
focal point but how serving God differs within the use of figurative language First, to examine the
sonnet "Holy Sonnet 14" the prayer reads like a prayer, with very violent imagery. The purpose of
the sonnet as a whole is talking to God asking him to batter him to be able ... Show more content on
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However, the imagery used to be very violent and telling God to ravish him in order to be able to
serve God better, it draws the comparison of Gods acts in his life to a violent rape. First a metaphor
is used on the first line batter my heart it is a comparison to a battered animal. Next three–personed
God is an allusion to the Holy Trinity in Christianity since this is a poem with a religious context.
The next metaphor is line 5 "I, like an usurped town" is a metaphor on being broken down by God
continuing with the violent imagery. On the other hand the Italian Sonnet "When I Consider How
My Light Is Spent" The sonnet uses diction as a prayer however it is not violent imagery like holy
sonnet 14 it is more of a question to God on why was the person made blind and they can't serve
God because they are blind he cannot serve God

An Analysis Of 'Death Be Not Proud'
Sonnets have been used for centuries to describe popular topics such as love, sex, and religion.
Many popular poets, like John Donne, embrace the Christian belief of the afterlife, but he does this
in a very unusual way. John Donne uses "Death Be Not Proud" to reinforce his Christian beliefs of
eternal life by standing up to the "playground bully" we call Death. Following traditional sonnet
form, "Death Be Not Proud" is composed of fourteen lines. Periods appear at the end of lines 4, 8,
12, and 14, meaning it is written in Petrarchan form. The rhyme scheme is ABBAABBA in the first
stanza and CDDCAA in the second, which varies from the traditional ABBAABBA CDCDCD form.
Also, we see Donne putting his rhyming words in the middle of lines instead of the end. Each line is
written in perfect iambic pentameter, except for line one, which starts with an accented beat only has
nine syllables. In the first quatrain, Donne uses personification to give Death a humanlike
complexity. Death's name is even capitalized to create a proper noun, like death is a person. The
speaker directly addresses Death and his confident attitude. Death is a bully who makes everyone
scared of him and the terrible things he can accomplish. However, the speaker, who is obviously of
Christian faith, says he is not afraid of Death. The speaker says, "Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst
thou kill me" (4). First, the speaker calls Death "poor Death", like he is pitying his weakness (4).
Lastly, the speaker

Comparison Of Claude Donne And Claude Mckay And If We Must...
What is your life amount to, if you hadn't made an impact? Death is a part of life yet many people
are afraid of it and are not ready for it when their time comes. The poems that I chose that impacted
me is "If We Must Die" by Claude McKay and "Death Be Not Proud" By John Donne. These poems
impacted me because I thought it was interesting the difference in the thought process about a
subject that impossible to escape. These two poems are talking about experiencing death and when it
does come that it isn't something to be scared of but to be embraced as a time of rest because you
have made your impact on this earth. My goal of this essay is to show the comparison and contrasts
about John Donne and Claude McKay perspectives on death and ... Show more content on
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McKay always wanted to go to college, he loved learning but was never able to afford the payments
to make it in, until he started writing poetry. McKay earned lots of respect form many black poets
who had similar experience as he did and they praised him for being brave enough to write about the
equality that everyone deserved. He died on May 22, 1948 in Chicago, Illinois from a heart attack.
The poetic devices in "If We Must Die" by Clause McKay are personification, sonnet,
onomatopoeia, anaphora, and true rhyme. Personification is used in this poem when it says "If we
die–let it not be like hogs."(1) The sonnet is used because the 14 lines and the rhyme scheme
ABABCDCDEFEFGG. The onomatopoeia is when Clause McKay states "While around us bark the
mad and hungry dogs" "bark" is the onomatopoeia because it sounds what it is describing. (3)
Anaphora is used in this poem when the repetition of the words "If we must die". The true rhyme is
shown the poem when the words, "hogs, dogs" "shed, dead" and "brave, grave".
The poem "If we must die" by Clause McKay is about death but put into a perspective of not dying
without a fight. That if death was going to be a part of life to at least die for a noble cause and stand
up for what is right. This poem was written in the times of segregation and it talks about a when
people we not able to get jobs and had to work harder because of the color of their skin. In these
times many people were

John Drygen And John Dryden And Shakespeare's Roles In Poetry
INTRODUCTION
The metaphysical poets have immense power and capability to wonder the reader and cajole
inventive perspective through paradoxical images, subtle argument, innovative syntax and imagery
from art, philosophy and religion implying an extended metaphor known as conceit. The term
"metaphysical" broadly applied to English and European poets of the seventeenth century was used
by Augustan poets John Dryden and Samuel Johnson to reprove those poets for their
"unnaturalness". John Dryden was the first to use the term metaphysical in association with John
Donne as he "affects the metaphysics." Goethe, likewise, wrote, "the unnatural, that too is natural"
and metaphysical poets are studied for their intricacy and originality. It will not be irrelevant and
absurd to say, "Metaphysics in poetry is the fruit of the Renaissance tree, becoming over–ripe and
approaching putrescence" (C. S. Lewis). Scholars described the characteristics of metaphysical
poetry from different point of view. They, in fact, lay out the essence of metaphysical poem, as does
R.S. Hillyer to call " Loosely, it has taken such meanings as these––metaphysical poetry as difficult,
philosophical, obscure, ethereal, involved, supercilious, ingenious, fantastic and incongruous."
EPIGRAM AND DONNE'S METAPHYSICAL POETRY
Concentration is one of the features of metaphysical poetry especially in Donne's poetry because he
introduces the readers to the new realm of argument and the closely interwoven thought,

What Is The Theme Of Death Be Not Proud
John Donne, awarded an honorary doctorate in divinity from Cambridge University, a Royal
Chaplain, a Reader of Divinity at Lincoln's Inn and, many other titles, wrote the famous poem
"Death Be Not Proud". A very spiritual and knowledgeable man, John Donne created this holy
sonnet in 1609. He used his wisdom to pen this poem with incredible writing skills full many
difficult patterns and rhythms. In addition, he also employed many literary devices throughout the
poem to add depth and eloquence. Finally, this poem talks about having fear of death, but also hope
for the future which still can be applied today, making this poem timeless. The reasons for the
success of "Death Be Not Proud" surface through John Donne's amazing writing skills and ... Show
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In the first few lines of the poem, the writing shows how many people fear death, but then shows
how in reality, death has no power over them. The writer then goes on to write how it does not
matter if he dies because afterward he will go to a place much better, and here the author refers to
the hope for the future in reference to heaven. After that, death get call a slave because he is only
ever included with evil thoughts and unfriendly people. This again demonstrates why people should
not the fear death because he has no control over anybody and his only power it to kill which means
nothing. Finally, the poem displays another times, how after death complies with his job, then he
actually dies and the people he killed get to live forever in heaven, showing again how he has no
power and how hope can be found in

Holy Sonnet 10 By John Donne
In John Donne's Holy Sonnet 10, Donne expresses that he does not fear Death. This Petrarchan
sonnet consists of a narrator, who is probably Donne, considering that the sonnet was written when
he was old, and nearing death. Towards the end of his life, Donne became incredibly reflective and
much more religious, and this work is a product of that. Donne relentlessly taunts Death,
challenging his dominance and power over the course of the poem. He argues that Death is no
longer as frightening, no longer as powerful, and no longer something that is revered. Donne
enhances his argument via the use of figurative language, imagery, and form. Donne uses many
forms of figurative language when building his argument in Holy Sonnet 10. The use of metaphors
throughout the poem greatly enhances his argument with Death. Donne's first use of a metaphor
comes early on, when he says, "From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,/Much pleasure from
thee, much more must flow," (5–6). He compares rest and sleep to death in this line, saying that they
are both pictures of it. The comparison of them to being "pictures" of death allows Donne to draw to
the conclusion that if we derive some pleasure from rest and sleep, death must be greatly
pleasureful. Donne's use of this metaphor to illustrate death as something pleasurable furthers his
argument that Death is no longer a daunting and powerful figure to humanity. The next important
metaphor yet again highlights how little power that Donne

Holy Sonnet 10 By John Donne
John Donne, Holy Sonnet 10 (page 1412) John Donne presented "Holy Sonnet 10" in a very
phenomenal way. Within the fourteen lines, one can really dig deep into the message that Donne is
trying to portray. The reader can really read between the lines and receive something different each
time this sonnet is read. I believe that is what Donne tried to do when writing "Holy Sonnet 10."
This is a sonnet that one must read more than once to really become intrigued within the meaning
Donne tries to lay out for the individual reader. It is almost guaranteed that a reader will not gather
some of the same thoughts as someone else, which is one amazing aspect to John Donne's work.
When reading this sonnet I gathered many different hidden meanings that were between the lines,
being the reason I chose to move forward with this individual piece. Holy Sonnet 10 speaks of
death, or really this sonnet addresses death. When analyzing this sonnet I noticed that Donne
sometimes capitalized the "D" in death and other times he does not. After reading the whole sonnet I
gathered that there are certain points where Donne is addressing death, as death in a human–like
aspect. Where as Donne is addressing death singly as an individual. In the other aspect, where
Donne does not capitalize death, he speaks of it as the actual meaning that life gives us of death. The
action of actually dying, where Donne does not address that type of death himself instead, he just
speaks of death. The way Donne

Petrarch's Love
The work of Petrarch is one that began the popularity of writers composing pieces about their
lovers. Petrarch is distantly in love with a woman named Laura, and in his sonnet "Father in
Heaven, after each lost day" (pg. 169) he lets his feelings about his love for her come to life. "Since
I was yoked beneath the heavy trace that on the meekest weighs most cruelly" (lines 10–11) writes
Petrarch, comparing himself to an ox that is collared at the neck being forced to carry around a
wagon, which in this case represents his love for Laura. Petrarch knows that his love for Laura is a
hopeless love, one that he wants to shake off because it has become a burden to him. In his
realization of this unrealistic love he possesses, Petrarch pleas to God to remove his love for Laura
from his heart, and instead fill it with love for him. Petrarch wants his love to be meaningful as it
would be is he was filled with love for God, but he is stuck with a useless, burden love for a woman
who will never love him in return. One of literatures most well–known authors, William
Shakespeare, goes about his love sonnet in a very different way than that of Petrarch. Shakespeare
begins by describing his love as he writes "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; coral is far
more red than her lips' red; if snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; if hairs be wires, black
wires grow on her head" (pg. 179, lines 1–4). At first the sonnet seems like it is not about love at all,
it seems as if

Holy Sonnet 10 Beliefs
Death is not defeat, death is defeated. Death is nothing but a mere escape from this world. In both
poems, "Holy Sonnet 10", written by John Donne, and "On My First Son", written by Ben Jonson,
the authors share their beliefs about death and life after death. Each of these authors lost a loved one,
and they each use that as the inspiration in their writing. While both poems reveal in their themes
that death is not the end of life, they each express these beliefs in different ways with different
attitudes. In "Holy Sonnet 10", the main theme is that death is essentially mortal. Donne expresses
this thought by saying that death is only temporary and that in the end, the only thing that will
completely die will be death. While mourning his late ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Donne gives men this feeling of superiority over death because he so strongly believes that death is
not omnipotent and will eventually come to an end. On the other hand, Jonson almost make death
sound like a good thing, because it is an escape from this world to a place with no pain or suffering.
Therefore, while Jonson believes that death is a gateway to something better than this life, Donne
argues that death is not immortal and will essentially be the only thing that does die. "On My First
Son" gives off a feeling of hope after death, but "Holy Sonnet 10" is very aggressive in saying that
death will perish.
While both poets have very strong faith in the fact that death is not the end of life, they each give off
different attitudes about death. Donne is aggressive in his attitude toward death in his poem by
saying that it can be and already has been defeated. Jonson sheds light on the fact that death is not
only destined to die, but is something not to be feared because it leads to something much greater
than this world. In the end, both poems can agree on the fact that we are stronger than death because
it can't stop us from where it

Death Be Not Proud Poem Analysis
Poets have used sonnets for centuries to describe popular topics such as love, sex, and religion.
Many popular poets, like John Donne, embrace the Christian belief of the afterlife, but he does this
in a very unusual way. John Donne uses "Death Be Not Proud" to reinforce his Christian beliefs of
eternal life by standing up to the "playground bully" we call Death. Following traditional sonnet
form, "Death Be Not Proud" consists of fourteen lines. Periods appear at the end of lines 4, 8, 12,
and 14, meaning it is in Petrarchan form. The rhyme scheme is ABBAABBA in the first stanza and
CDDCAA in the second, which varies from the traditional ABBAABBA CDCDCD form. Also, we
see Donne putting his rhyming words in the middle of lines instead of the end. Each line is depicts
perfect iambic pentameter, except for line one, which starts with an accented beat only has nine
syllables. In the first quatrain, Donne uses personification to give Death a humanlike complexity.
Death's name is even capitalized to create a proper noun, like death is a person. The speaker directly
addresses Death and his confident attitude. Death is a bully who makes everyone scared of him and
the terrible things he can accomplish. However, the speaker, who practices his Christian faith, says
he is not afraid of Death. The speaker says, "Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me" (4).
First, the speaker calls Death "poor Death", like he is pitying his weakness (4). Lastly, the speaker
tells Death that he cannot kill him, which references his idea of the Christian afterlife. Death can end
his life on earth, but he cannot kill him because he will live forever in Heaven. In the second
quatrain, the speaker tells about how Death is pleasurable. For Christians, Death is what takes them
from their earthly life and delivers them to their eternal life in Heaven. In lines 5 and 6, the speaker
says, "From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more
must flow." In these lines, he compares Death to sleep and rest, two things that give us pleasure.
However, Death is merely a resemblance to these states. Since these things are a weaker version of
Death and they give us pleasure, Death should give us much more

Examples Of Religion In John Donne
I will argue that the religious turmoil that Donne had to face during his life lead him to a violent
crisis of identity, especially emphased in his relationship to God and thus his Holy Sonnets.
John Donne was born into a Catholic family in 1572, during a strong anti Catholic period in England
history. Right from his birth, religion would play an important and passionate role in this poet life.
He entered university at age 11, but will never receive any degree due to his catholicism. In 1593,
Donne's brother was convicted of Catholic sympathies and died in prison soon after. This tragic
incident lead John Donne to question his faith and Catholicism as a whole, wich would later
convince him to convert to Anglicanism. This period of questionning inspired Donne his writtings
on religion, including his Holy Sonnets. This series of poems reveal his relationship with God, his
thoughts on religion and his hope for salvation. It has been argued that leaving the Catholic Church
left Donne alone, worried about his after life : more than only questionning his faith, it lead him to
question his life as a whole. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In this poem, he violently, asmost desperately, asks the " three person'd God " to " batter his heart ",
to " bend His force to break, blow burn and make him new " so he can rise. This poem uses very
strong, violent vocabulary ( "force" "break" "bend" "divorce me" "untie me" "take me to you"
"imprison me" like Donne is under some sort of ripping of himself. He compares himself to a "an
usurped town" that needs to be ravished by God's power, but who insists on resisting for he is "
bethroted unto his ennemy ". The ennemy in question could be understood as The Devil in a purely
religious understanding,but we can also understand it to be reason itself, as he says

Why Is Death Be Not Proud Poem
Canon, this word is used commonly by the literary researchers and critics but what can we
understand when we hear that word. Canon is used as standard word to describe a kind of
masterpiece in many literal aspects as we hear some critics describes a concerto, dramatic series, a
set of poems or etc., it comes to our mind that the speaker is talking about a set of wonderful literary
works. So we understand that the word canon refers to some brilliant works. The literary canon is
defined by the critics and researchers as it is the literary landmark of a specific time or place. As we
say that the canon of the Elizabethan drama is the Shakespearian works so the literary canon is the
literary works which composed in a specific time or place and these ... Show more content on
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The structure of this poem follows the structure of the Italian Petrarchan sonnet, which includes 14
lines divided into an 8–line stanza and a 6–line stanza. The rhyme scheme of the first stanza is
ABBAABBA, and the rhyme scheme of the second stanza is CDDCEE. In the poem, the poet in
Death, Be Not Proud which is a Holy Sonnet 10 (in a series of nineteen) in this fourteen lines poem,
the poet attacked the invincibility of death as it takes people feeling proud to do that, in the same
time, the poet took this chance to express and show his faith in the afterlife joy's and events. The
poet in this poem said that life will take every body's life including himself, Donne used his power
as a preacher with the Anglican Church to show his faith in the afterlife as he told that death should
be mighty not proud of taking people's lives. In a series of paradoxes, the poet describes the
characteristics of death as the conqueror which brings rest more than sleeping that death brings the
rest of bones and the soul's delivery. The poet used the word "and" in many line to connect all his
charges and accuses to death. Then the poet describes death and connects it to the most destructive
things in life such as war, poisons, struggles and sickness and the poet attacks death again showing
that some other drugs can do the job of the death to rest people and make them sleep. The couple of
lines, with no rhyme couplet in which the poet ends his poem saying that the human beings die for a
short of time and they wakes up again to live eternally and death will not be any more that death
itself will die then and the human beings will come to live again eternally. In fourteen lines, Donne
has carried out an effective rhetorical attack against the invincibility of death and, at the same time,
has declared his

Comparison Of Holy Sonnet 14 By John Donne And Countee Cullen
John Donne and Countee Cullen are vulnerable when they ask why God has given them
characteristics that only allow them to have ongoing conflicts in their lives. Donne asks God to take
away his free will because his free will has made him weak and he only wants to be perfect. Cullen
questions why is he made from the flesh of God if he is going to suffer because of his race. While
Donne begs for God to help him with temptation which is a conflict within himself. Cullen ask why
God gives him the talent of writing when he has a conflict with society. Donne and Cullen both turn
to God hoping that with Gods help they will be able to overcome their conflicts.
In "Holy Sonnet 14", John Donne talks to God because he feels that as long as he has free ... Show
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Cullen also questions why God would make him suffer in life if he was made from the flesh of God.
"Why flesh that mirrors Him must someday die, Make plain the reason tortured Tantalus (473)".
Cullen question of why people made from the flesh of God shows that he is weak and wanting
answer from God. Cullen feels that God gave him talent that he could not use therefor giving him
reasons to compare himself to Tantalus and Sisyphus. Cullen feels that no matter how much he tries
or how amazing his writings are no one will ever see his work. Cullen believes no one will see his
work because as a black poet he goes place to place for someone to hear his voice but he is faced
with rejection. Cullen's fickle fruit that tortures him is his talent of writing because to him no matter
how amazing his ideas are, he fears that because of his race he will never be able to live a normal
life as a writer. Cullen also compares himself to Sisyphus "If merely brute caprice dooms Sisyphus
To struggle up a never–ending stair (473)." because like Sisyphus he goes up never ending stair of

John Donne Death Be Not Proud Tone
Putting Death In His Place John Donne was born in 1572 to an English Catholic family and attended
the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Donne Converted to the Anglican church, or the Church
of England, and took on holy orders shortly before the passing of his wife. Donne is best known for
being one of the leading figures in metaphysical poetry. This form of poetry is not merely
intellectual but also carries deep serious philosophical thoughts on the soul. Metaphysical poetry
primarily deals with, and is known for, exploring the experiences of the human being such as love,
death, and religious beliefs. Throughout John Donne's Holy Sonnet "Death Be Not Proud" Donne
speaks to Death in the first person point of view, personifying "Death" ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Donne claims that when a person dies, their bones "rest", which is a non permanent state, and their
soul is "delivered" (to the afterlife); which is the existence of a life after death, this contradicts the
idea of death being absolute ,both of these terms contribute to the tone of defiance and the theme
that death is not absolute. As the poem progresses Donne's tone becomes stronger and even more
specific: "Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,/ and dost with poison, war and
sickness dwell..." (9–10). Donne calls death a "slave" to all the things from which people die,
reversing the long–held perception that one spends a lifetime trying to escape the grasp of death by
creating the idea that death spends an eternity of servitude to mortal humans. Donne's use of tone in
"Death Be Not Proud" varies from gentle suggestion that Death is powerlessness to direct ridiculing,
disproving, and rebellious tone, all of which contribute to his theme that death is neither unbounded
nor

Holy Sonnet 14: An Explication Of Figurative Language
John Donne's Holy Sonnet 14: "Batter My Heart"
An Explication of Figurative Language
Written in the early seventeenth–century, John Donne's "Batter My Heart" (Holy Sonnet 14)
illustrates the internal struggle of its speaker as he attempts to overcome temptation and let God into
his life. Published in 1633 as a part of the poet's Holy Sonnets series, "Batter My Heart" presents the
speaker as one in desperate need of divine intervention, claiming only God's complete and utter
domination as that which will set him free. Throughout the fourteen lines of Donne's Holy Sonnet
14, numerous forms of figurative language are employed to convey the speaker's desire to be
rescued from the clutches of sin. As a Petrarchan sonnet closely following the octave–volta–sestet
design, "Batter My Heart" displays ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
While this turn, referred to in Petrarchan sonnets as a volta, does not present a vast change in the
speaker's argument, a slight shift in emotion can be discerned: "Yet dearly I love You, and would be
loved fain" (9). Where in the poem's octave Donne supplies readers with a speaker who brazenly
confronts God, making demands and asserting his displeasure in their current relationship, in the
volta a far more tender side of the speaker is displayed. The remaining lines, including the volta,
make up the sestet of Holy Sonnet 14. As the sonnet's ninth line contains its only literal declaration,
"Batter My Heart" immediately returns to Donne's application of figurative language. In the
succeeding two lines of the sestet, the speaker's significant distress in being bond to temptation and
sin are presented: "But am betrothed unto Your enemy; / Divorce me, untie, or break that knot
again" (10–11). Here, the poet's use of the words "betrothed" (10), "Divorce" and "knot" (11)
suggest a nuptial union, furthering the sonnet's previously exposed extended

Summary Of The Poem Analysis Of Death
I chose this poem because at one point in my life I was afraid of Death. Death was something
terrifying to me that I would have dared not speak about. This poem attacks death for the coward
and fraud that it is. John informs the readers that they should not be afraid of Death; death is not the
end. I also have this belief. My belief is that Death is the beginning of something better and an end
to the suffering of mortal life. Therefore, I really connected to this poem as it added to my personal
beliefs. (This sonnet follows a Petrarchan Sonnet Structure).
The first four lines sum up the main point of the poem: Death should not be proud. Though Death
may think that he has defeated persons who have died, Donne says that they are not dead; their souls
are still alive in the afterlife. Donne believes people are only dead for a moment, then their spirit
joins the others in Heaven, where they live. Therefore, Death will never be able to kill him.
In this poem Death is a bully who is exposed to not be as tough as he portrays. Ironically, Donne
makes Death to be something positive, as it leads Christians to a new life. The sharpness of the
poem comes from the combination of the symbolic and literal use of "die" and "Death." For
example, lines 1–2 show the great use of personification along with apostrophe. Death is treated as a
person who is thought of to be dreadful and mighty (personification). Donne also addresses Death
directly, even though it obvious that Death cannot respond

Metaphysical Poetry
Metaphysical Poetry: Much More Than Wit The two main views of metaphysical poetry, as
composed by poets A.E. Housman and T.S. Eliot, are vastly different. Eliot's view of metaphysical
poetry is a very positive and respectful one. He admires the uniqueness of the metaphysical poets
when he describes them as "reflective poets" as opposed to merely intellectual ones. Eliot says they
have the ability to "feel their thought as immediately as the odor of a rose," compared to the strictly
thought–driven traditional poetry of lyrical poets. Housman's view is significantly more harsh and
critical. In reference to metaphysical poetry, he says that "poetry, as a label for this particular
commodity, is not appropriate." According to Housman, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
An interesting shift, as well as an example of assonance, is seen when the speaker says, "but oh, to
no end" (Line 6). In this moment of lament, the speaker begins to seem pathetic and his other
commands to God begin to seem more like emotional begging. He is troubled that his "reason [...]
proves weak and untrue" (Lines 7–8). In line 7, the concept of reason is personified as an
ambassador to the town when the speaker says, "Reason, your viceroy in me, me [...]" This line
contains anadiplosis, followed by an example of consonance found in the phrase, "should defend, /
but is captiv'd." Line 8 describes this ambassador of reason as being held captive by sin. In line 9,
the poem becomes more personal when the speaker expresses his overall feelings toward God by
saying, "Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain." The speaker uses consonance to show he
knows his love is requited. However, he feels he cannot accept God's gift of love because he is
"betroth'd unto [God's] enemy" (Line 10). He continues with this metaphor of marriage by asking
God to "Divorce [him]" (Line 11) from his sin. Consonance is present when the speaker

Death Be Not Proud By John Donne
John Donne's poem, "Death Be Not Proud" (1633), is only one of the impressive poems in his
collection: The Holy Sonnets. In "Death Be Not Proud", Donne expresses his Anglican beliefs as he
addresses death's fraudulent image and unjustified pride. Donne's audience is death, but his poem is
also intended for its readers, who "some have called [death] / Mighty and dreadful" (1–2). He begins
the poem with a calm, conversational tone, but becomes more aggressive and expositive as his poem
progresses. Similar to his change in tone, he uses rhyme scheme and precise placement of
punctuation to separate his arguments and evidence into sections that progressively intensify. Donne
uses alliteration, listing, repetition, and capitalization to direct the readers' focus to important areas
of his poem. His use of personification, metaphor, metonymy, allusions to Anglican views, and
paradox prove that death itself is merely a contradiction. Death is not the end of life, but rather a
new beginning, and humans should not fear it.
Impressively, Donne's poem is an Italian sonnet that possesses qualities of an English sonnet, which
is similar to the structure of a four paragraph essay. It's apparent that the poem is an Italian sonnet
just by looking at how the rhyme scheme (A B B AA B B A C D D C AA) forms an octave and a
sestet. While the qualities of an English sonnet and paragraph structure are less obvious, they are
defined by Donne's precise use of punctuation. There are four instances of

Tranquil Tone
John Donne authored poetry that relied on intelligent allusions and wordplay. He strung together
paradoxical ideas that utilized more of a philosophical structure than his counterparts, in some ways
making him an outlier in relation to the normative poetry of his time period. Donne's poetry dealt
outside of the physical realm. He conjured biblical allusions in secular poems and often reversed
that formula to make secular connections in otherwise religious poems. He used extended metaphors
to make unusual literary comparisons, but he did so with acumen. His "holy sonnets" are an
excellent example of the multifarious way that Donne crammed his intellectual capacity into verse.
In holy sonnet number 14, later titled Batter My Heart, Three–Personed God Donne employs a
menacing tone throughout the sonnet, aggressively combining imagery and paradox to describe his
anxiety towards his salvation and sinful nature. His poetry is often seen as unmatched in the
category he falls into, but a contemporary of his surely gives him a run for his money. On the
seemingly opposite spectrum we have a poet who utilizes a tranquil tone in his poetry: George
Herbert. Herbert was characteristically different in diction and tone. A friend of Donne, Herbert's
poetry was often full of composure and confidence, in contrast with Donne who seemed to grapple
with uncertainty. Although ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Through the violent act of raping him (14) as well as battering his heart (1) he wants God to
temporarily break his divine nature and embody the sinful nature that Donne couldn't escape;
absolving Donne in the aggressive way he felt he deserved. Donne exclaims his frustration and he
puzzles at life and his relationship with God in a philosophical way, asking more questions than
answering. The sonnet opens with these lines that accentuate the forceful language that Donne

Batter My Heart By John Donne

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