1. DEATH BE NOT PROUD
JOHN DONNE
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

2. Satire, Love poetry, Elegy Subjects: Love, Sexuality, Religion, Death
John Donne
Born:
1572 London, England
Died:
March
Occupation:
Poet
Nationality:
English
Genres:
Satire, Love poetry, Elegy
Subjects:
Love, Sexuality, Religion, Death
Literary movement:
Metaphysical Poetry
Influences:
William Shakespeare
Influenced:
W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot, W.H. Auden[1]
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

3. Death be not proud, though some have called thee
JOHN DONNE
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.
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

4. MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

5. Allusion - the poem alludes to
THE FOLLOWING EXTRACT FROM THE SCRIPTURES:
"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep,
but we will all be changed - in a flash,
in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trumpet then the saying
that is written will come true:
'Death has been swallowed up in victory.
Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?'
The sting of death is sin,
and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God!
He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 15: 51-57
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

6. Structure of the poem a b b a a b b a c d d c e e
Italian or Petrarchan Sonnet in structure
In terms of ideas the poem is divided into three quatrains and a couplet – Shakespearian.
Poem consists of octave and sestet.
Arrangement of sestet is unusual since it consists of a quatrain and a couplet.
The couplet is spoiled by impure rhyme:
eternally and die
Rhyme scheme:
a b b a a b b a c d d c e e
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

7. Theme:
Death is powerless – a passing moment in time before man achieves eternal life.
Death is personified as a hateful person whom the poet dislikes.
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

8. The poet addresses death directly
Line 1
Death has nothing to boast / brag about
Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Present
perfect
tense
Apostrophe
Irony
It is implied that only a small number of unknown people call death dreadful
The poet addresses death directly
It has happened in the past and will still happen in future.
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

9. Powerful Fearful Emphatic statement - the poet is totally convinced
Line 2
Powerful
Fearful
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so,
Emphatic statement -
the poet is
totally convinced
of his point
of view
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

10. Death's opinion Those people conquered who have died
Line 3
Death's
opinion
For those, whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow,
Those people
who have
died
conquered
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

11. Poet's opinion The poet now boasts that death cannot 'kill' him
Line 4
Poet's
opinion
Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
The poet now
boasts that
death cannot
'kill' him
Tone of contempt –
Sarcastic exclamation in a
Mock-sympathetic tone
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

12. Rest and sleep are imitations of death metaphor
Line 5
Rest and sleep
are imitations
of death
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
metaphor
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

13. If the imitations are so enjoyable the real thing must be even better
Line 6
If the imitations
are so enjoyable
the real thing
must be
even better
Much pleasure,
then from thee much more must flow,
alliteration
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

14. Even strong, powerful and brave men
die eventually - sometimes sooner than expected
Line 7
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Good, virtuous men welcome death!
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

15. bones represent the body
Metonymy -
bones represent the body
Line 8
Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.
Man is reborn -
set free from
earth and his
temporary body.
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

16. Destiny, fortune providence accidental coincidental
Line 9
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
accidental
coincidental
What causes death? People die because of sickness.
Or maybe a murderer kills them.
Or perhaps a tyrannical king decrees a death sentence.
In all of these cases, Death has no option but to come along
and claim the victim. Death therefore has no freedom.
Death is simply a slave to things like Fate, etc.
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

17. Birds of a feather flock together You are known by those with
Line 10
Birds of a feather flock together
You are known by those with
whom you associate yourself
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell.
live and
associate
All negative
things -
associated
with destruction
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

18. People sleep deeper from magic spells these than - hypnotism
Line 11
When a certain species of poppy seeds is crushed, it produces a paste called opium which, when heated, gives off a smoke that produces a wonderfully peaceful
hallucinatory sleep.
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well.
People sleep
deeper from
these than
from death
magic spells
- hypnotism
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

19. Pun Stroke - * death blow * stroke of luck * stroke an animal
Line 12
Pun
Stroke -
* death blow
* stroke of luck
* stroke an animal
And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
Comparative
degree -
not as
good as...
Why do you have such high opinion of yourself?
(puffed up with pride)
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

20. Triumphant declaration of our victory over death
Line 13
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
Triumphant
declaration
of our victory
over death
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

21. beginning of his eternal life
Line 14
Man's death is only the
beginning of his eternal life
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
"You will go" means a wish or an intention, that you will go unless something stops you whereas "you shall go" is a command rather than a wish, meaning that nothing will get in the way of your going!
"Death, thou shalt die" therefore is a command. Nothing will get in the way of Death's demise . Death will die and there is no further argument about it! There is no question about it!
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

22. Therefore this should not be the picture we have of death
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

23. You should think of death as a triumph over death itself
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH

24. Tone: Mood: The poet is mocking or ridiculing death Hostile
Contemptuous
Mood:
Mocking
Challenging
MADE BY RONEL MYBURGH