Death be not
proud
John Donne
Autobiography
•John Donne was a famous English poet and is founder of Metaphysical poetry.
•John Donne was born in Bread Street, London in 1572 to a prosperous Roman
Catholic family
•Death date: March 31,1631
•Religion was a very big part of John Donne’s life.
•Education: In 1583 he entered Hart Hall, University of Oxford. In 1586 he moved to
University of
•Cambridge and studied there for 3 years. Traveled to Europe, when he returned he
began to read law at Thavies Inn in 1591 the in Lincoln’s Inn in 1592.
•John Donne’s father was a prosperous London merchant and died in 1576.
•John Donne’s mother Elizabeth was niece of Martyr Thomas More.
•John Donne’s brother Henry died of fever in prison.
•In 1601 John married 16 year old Anne More.
•In 1610 John wrote the poem “Death, Be Not Proud”
•On 1617 John’s wife died after giving birth to their 12th child.
•As John’s health continued to fail him he became obsessed with death.
Poem
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.
ANALYSIS
John Donne'd "Death, be not proud" is part of his Holy Sonnet Series
in total he wrote 19. "Death, be not proud" is Holy Sonnet #10 it
consists of 14 lines, 8 line stanzas and 6 line stanzas. It's rhyming in
ABBAAABBA CDDCEE.
This sonnet catches Donne's thoughts on death and how it will be
destroyed. Donne suffered Tymphoid fever which brought him close
to death. In the sonnet he explains how he conquered death and
expresses fate and death.
Quiz
1) Where was Donne born and raised?
2) What were the 3 schools he scycled in?
3) What type of sonnet is to be not proud?
4) To what letters does the rhyme scheme go to?
5) What is the meaning of "desperate men" mean in the poem?
6) What was the reason that john wrote this poem?
7) Does the speaker sound as if he is talking trash or as if he is speaking to himself out of being
afraid of death?
TRUE/FALSE
8) Everyone fears death based on this poem?
9 In line 13&14 the speakers tone is
A)Thoughtful/Dreadful
B)Disappointed/Sad
C)Angry/Submissive
D)Victorious/Triumphant
DEATH BE NOT PROUD