He uses the Christian theology of eternity to taunt Death by telling him, essentially, “Even if you take my physical body, you can never truly kill me.”įrom rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Though everyone knows that physical death does indeed occur, the speaker is challenging Death in a different way. However, knowledge of John Donne’s background and ideologies can give some insight into the speaker’s confidence here. It seems dangerous for one to threaten death in this way. Then, he addresses Death in a more personal manner, challenging him by saying, “yet canst thou kill me”. It sounds almost as if the speaker is making fun of Death for having lived under the illusion that he had any sort of power over life or death. Then, to further humiliate Death, the speaker calls him “Poor Death”. The speaker first humbles Death by telling him that his idea that he has the power to overthrow lives is simply an illusion, and that he has no such power at all. He claims that while Death thinks that he has the power to kill, he actually does not. Here in Death, be not Proud, the speaker accuses the death of having illusions of grandeur. Death, though adequately personified, cannot respond to the accusations of the speaker.įor those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrowĭie not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. Readers know immediately that this sonnet will consist of one speaker who will do all of the talking and accusing of his subject. Apostrophe occurs when a writer addresses a subject who cannot respond. This poet uses the literary tactic of “ apostrophe” to drive home his point. The speaker, however, with a voice of absolute authority on the matter, simply states, “thou art not so”. He tells him that he ought not to be so proud, even though for generations people have feared Death and called him “mighty and dreadful”. The speaker assumes the position of the one who must humble this being, Death. He paints a picture of Death as an arrogant being, and one who needs to be humbled. The speaker immediately creates a personified version of death by talking directly to him. Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so The confident tone of ‘ Death, be not Proud,’ and the direct confrontation of Death provides an ironic sense of comfort to the readers by implicitly suggesting that Death is not to be feared at all, but that in the end, Death will be overcome by something even greater.ĭeath, be not Proud (Holy Sonnet 10) Analysis Lines 1-2ĭeath, be not proud, though some have called thee The way the speaker talks to Death reveals that he is not afraid of Death, and does not think that Death should be so sure of himself and so proud.
This enemy is one most fear, but in this sonnet, the speaker essentially tells him off. In this poem, the speaker affronts an enemy, Death personified.
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