An Analysis of John Donne's Death Be Not Proud

An Analysis of John Donne's "Death Be Not Proud (Holy Sonnet X)":

Why Man should not fear Death

Outline

Thesis – John Donne's sonnet, "Death Be Not Proud (Holy Sonnet X)", demonstrates that death has no real power over man, but rather serves as a transporter to man's final destination - heaven.

I. 1st Quatrain

a. The use of literary devices to set the tone of disbelief.

i. Personification

ii. Alliteration

b. Refute death's claims.

II. 2nd Quatrain

a. The use of literary devices to reinforce argument death should not be feared.

i. Paradoxes

ii. Metaphor

b. Death is a stopping point, not a final destination.

III. 3rd Quatrain

a. Death is not in control, but must rely on other entities.

b. Death has no reason to be proud.

IV. Final Couplet

a. Death is subject to other powers.

b. Death is not final.

c. Death will cease to exist

V. Why man should not fear death.

For most of man's existence, the uncertainty of death has made it something to be feared. From the earliest writings to today's modern movies, man has defined death as a force, menacing and evil, to be feared. For Christians, however, death has a different meaning because we know that death is only the end of our physical life and we will share eternity with Jesus. John Donne's sonnet, "Death Be Not Proud (Holy Sonnet X)", demonstrates that death has no real power over man, but rather serves as a transporter to man's final destination - heaven.

In the first quatrain, Donne demystifies Death with the use of personification by addressing him as a person. He talks to Death as an adult would to a child warning him about arrogance (line 1) and chiding him that he is not as “Mighty and dreadful” (line 2) as he thinks. Donne concludes the first quatrain by using the device of alliteration to emphasize Death's power to "overthrow" (line 3,4) individuals does not eliminate their existence forever, and makes the bold statement Death does