Death Be Not proud by John Donne Presented by: Matt Gordon And Khala Febres

Death Be Not Proud lines 1-4 Death be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so, For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow, Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

Lines 1-4 Analysis The Poem Begins by addressing death dramatically and directly It does this by personifying death The poem first attacks death for its pride calling it mighty and dreadful The people who think the can ”overthrow” death do not really die The author feels he cannot be defeated by death In line four John Donne puts death at a place of pity because he feels death is powerless.

Lines 5-8 From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee, Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee doe goe, Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.

Lines 5-8 Analysis Death should not be feared There is an analogy between death and sleep and since sleep is pleasurable death should be also Poem argues that it is not a tragedy when the good die young They should die willingly so their bodies can be buried in the ground and their souls can be released into Heaven Poem continues to argue that Death is not powerful Death provides the believing Christian a reward

Lines 9-12 Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell, And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well, And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;

Lines 9-12 Analysis Death is not a master, it is a slave Death is dealt to others by fate and chance-personified Death is a slave to “desperate men”- those who try to commit suicide Death’s allies are not loyal companions but are actually hostile: poison, war, sickness-personified The "poppy" is a flower used to make opium, an old-fashioned drug that makes people really happy, The poppy or magic charms would work even better to make us sleep than Death would

Lines 13 and 14 One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally, And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die

Lines 13 and 14 Analysis This is not an eternal sleep that is awaits us but a short one before we wake eternally John Donne finishes the poem by stating that Donne will not be the one to die but Death will.

Personification When inanimate objects are given human characteristics and, therefore, human significance. What is personified in this poem? What effect does this have?