• Themes 
• Type and form
• Analysis
• Tone and mood
• Activity 2

Death be not proud by John Donne

This poem was written by John Donne (1572-1631) who lived at the same time as Shakespeare. Donne had an adventurous early life. He travelled by sailing ship on two expeditions to the New World (the United States). He also ran away with his employer’s 16-year-old niece, Anne, whom he married, and so he was fired from his job. Donne was a Christian and became an Anglican priest and later the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

1. Themes

The theme of this poem is death. The poet speaks directly to Death, in person, and tells Death not to think that he is important and powerful because Death is really just a kind of sleep – and rest and sleep are pleasant. We all wake from sleep: even people who die will wake from death – in heaven! The poet points out that actually death brings us benefits and that it has no power. There is therefore no reason for people to be afraid of death.
This poem is based on the Christian paradox that in order to live forever you have to die. In the Christian belief, physical death is the gateway to eternal or everlasting life in heaven.
The poet makes a clever argument in this poem. His idea is set out like this:

• When we die, it looks as if we are asleep.
• When we sleep, we will eventually wake up.
• If death looks like sleep, then we will also wake up from death.
• If we wake up from death, we cannot be dead.
• Death is destroyed by eternal life.

Vocab: A paradox is a statement made of two opposite ideas that seems to make no sense but may be true.

2. Type and form

The poem is an Italian or Miltonic sonnet. This is because its 14 lines are made up of:

• An octave of eight lines made up of two quatrains; and
• A sestet of six The sestet is made up of one quatrain and arhyming couplet at the end of the poem.

The rhyming scheme in this sonnet is abba abba cddc ee.
Hint: "Octo" (in octave) means eight "ses" means six, so a sestet has six lines

3.  Analysis

The speaker talks to Death as if Death was a person. This is a figure of speech called personification. By personifying Death, and giving it a human quality – pride – the poet makes death less scary. Death then only has the same power as people like you and me.
The speaker is using another figure of speech here called apostrophe – no, not the punctuation mark! Apostrophe is when you speak directly to an absent person or thing as if he or she was standing in front of you.
The poet orders Death not to be “proud” (arrogant) because people do not really get defeated (“overthrown”) by Death. In fact, Death cannot kill anyone – not even the speaker. The poet explains in the rest of the poem why Death cannot really “kill” anyone.
The poet, however, says that only “some” people consider death “mighty and dreadful” (line 2). In line 3, he goes on to tell Death that people it thinks it has destroyed do not die, and Death cannot kill him, the poet. He mocks Death by pretending to be feel sorry for Death, calling it “poor death”.
The poet is using the word “poor” in an ironical way here, as he does not really pity death.

Vocab: Poor can mean financially poor; or someone undeserving pity. In this poem, the word "poor" is used scornfully. The poet does not really pity death.
Also: Note how the rhyme scheme here is abba. " Be" rhymes with "delivery" and "flow" with "go".

 People who die look like they are resting and sleeping – both rest and sleep are enjoyable (they give us “much pleasure”). Death is just a copy of these pleasant experiences.
The poet continues to mock Death by saying that if sleep is great and death is like a big sleep – then what an even greater pleasure death must be. Even more, the quicker people die, the better for them (“soonest our best men with thee do go” in line 7)!
The poet gives his evidence for this in lines 7 and 8, where he says the “best men”, those with true faith, welcome death because it rests their bodies (“bones”) and delivers their souls to God.

 Note: The rhyme in the sestet is cddc ee
The speaker continues to criticise Death. He says that Death does not have the power to kill people on his own. Death is a servant (a “slave”) to many horrible “masters” such as destiny (“Fate”) and accidents (“Chance”), which may kill us. Death also works for “desperate men” – this would be men who may rob and murder. Death also has to live (“dwell”) with very nasty companions that will do the actual killing: “poison, war, and sickness” (line 10).
Hint: Connotation of a word are extra meanings or the associations with that word. By using the word "Slave", the poet is saying that Death is not free and has no control over his life.
The poet personifies Death as a slave who has no freedom to act on his own. He is used by other forces which cause death. The poet uses capital letters (F and C) for Fate and Chance as if they are important people; and Death is their slave.
In line 12, the poet reminds Death that even simple sleeping drugs (opium, made from the “poppy”) and charms (“magic”) can make us “sleep” better than Death can (“…better than thy stroke”). The poet asks: if these things do the same work as Death, why is Death is so full of self-importance, “why swell’st thou then?” There is an expression “swell with pride” that describes the feeling of being filled with pride, which gives us an image of a proud, arrogant person pushing his chest out to look big and important! The poet suggests that Death has nothing to be proud of.

 The last two lines of the poem are a rhyming couplet. Although the words “eternally” and “die” do not seem to rhyme – they would have rhymed in the English accent of that time.
Notice that now the speaker uses a small “d” for death in the last line of the poem (line 14). Death is not important anymore and does not get the capital “D” of a proper noun.

4. Tone and mood

The poet’s tone in the poem is scornful and mocking in the way that he gives orders to Death, which is often considered a terrifying mystery. The tone is also critical of death.
In the end, the speaker uses a triumphant tone because he has won a victory over Death, as Death is conquered and destroyed by eternal life.
The mood of a poem is how it makes the reader feel. How does this poem make you feel? For example, happy, sad, angry, or indifferent.

Summary
Death be not proud by John Donne

1. Theme
   Death is not a terrifying mystery, but a force without real power.
2. Type and form
   
3. Tone and mood
   • Tone: Scornful, mocking, triumphant
   • Mood: How does this poem make you feel? Happy, sad, angry or indifferent? Always give reasons for your answer.

Activity 2 

Refer to the poem on page 10 and answer the questions below.

1. Refer to the following words in line 1 (“Death be not proud”):
   Identify the figure of speech used (1)
2. Explain why the poet has used this figure of (2)
   Hint: to explain this figure of speech, think of how and why the poet talks to Death as a person.
3. Which three words from the list below could be used to describe Death? (3)

   arrogant; clever; proud; friendly; over-confident; loving

4. Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE?
   Everyone fears Death.
   Quote ONE word from the poem to support your answer.       (2)
   note: Write down either true or false and then your one word answer. Remember that this is a quote so make sure you spell the word exactly as it is in the poem.
5. Complete the following sentences by using the words provided in the list Write down only the words next to the question number.
   

   entertainment; temporary; relaxation; end; look; final

   The poet says that “rest and sleep” are “pictures” of Death, meaning they only (5.1) ... like death. However, people rest and sleep for (5.2) ...                                                                                   (2)
6. Using your own words, write down THREE causes of death statedin the poem.                                                                          (3)
7. Refer to the following words in line 12 (“why swell’st thou then?”) Explain the meaning of these words as they are used in the (1)
8. Refer to lines 10-14. Name two things which have the sameeffect as Death.                                                                     (2)
9. Write down the correct tone word in brackets for each of the lines below:
   1. “Death be not proud for, thou art not so” (lines 1- 2) (triumphant/critical/ mocking)
   2. “Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men” (line 9) (triumphant/critical/mocking)
   3. “And poppy, or charms can make us sleep as well, And better than thy stroke” (lines 11-12)
      (triumphant / critical / mocking)
   4. Death, thou shalt die.” (line 14) (triumphant/critical/mocking)                                               (4)
10. In the last two lines (13–14) the speaker’s tone is ... 
    1. triumphant and victorious
    2. submissive and angry.
    3. sad and disappointed.
    4. thoughtful and fearful.                                                       (1)
11. Discuss the message the poem has for its (2)   [23]

To get 2 marks, you must give 2 points.

Answers to Activity 2

1. Personification OR apostrophe ✓ (1)
2. Personification: The poet gives Death human qualities in order to mock/poke fun at/ridicule/laugh at Death/ to show that Death is like an ordinary human/mortal/ not powerful ✓✓
   OR
   Apostrophe: He addresses Death as if Death is present/ in front of him. ✓✓ (2)
3. arrogant ✓/proud ✓/over-confident ✓ (3)
4. False. “some” ✓✓ (2)
5. 5.1 look ✓ (1)
   5.2 relaxation ✓ (1)
6.                              
   • You are destined to die in a certain way (Fate). ✓
   • You can die in an accident (Chance). ✓
   • Your death can be ordered by kings/powerful people. ✓
   • You can die in a war. ✓
   • You can be murdered. ✓
   • You can kill yourself/ suicide. ✓
   • You can die by taking poison. ✓
   • You can die from illness/disease. ✓ (3)
7. The poet is questioning/asking why Death is filled with pride/proud/OR why Death is arrogant/pompous/haughty/ swollen with pride. ✓ (1)
8. “poppy” ✓ and “charms” ✓ (2)
9.                    
   1. critical ✓
   2. critical ✓
   3. mocking ✓
   4. triumphant ✓ (4)
10. A / triumphant and victorious ✓ (1)
11.                          
    • You should not be afraid to die. ✓
    • Death has no power. ✓
    • Death is temporary/does not last forever. ✓
    • There is life after death. ✓ (2)  [23]

NOTE:

•  In question 4, a mark is awarded only if both parts of the answer are correct: False and "some".
• Any three of the answers in question 6 are acceptable
• Any 2 of the answers n question11 are acceptable