Next he directly attacks the dominant power of death, claiming “Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men”. Essentially he is saying that Death may take away the best men, but it does not have a lasting effect, as what is after death is pleasurable. The speaker relents that “our best men with thee do go,” only to taunt “ rest of their bones and soul’s delivery”.
The passage itself takes on a mocking tone as the speaker breaks down Death’s assumed power to portray it as a peaceful sleep, in doing so he shows Death is not as scary as originally thought. This introspective meditation on the power of Death shows a new truth – Death is not something to be feared. This irony conveys that the speaker finds sleep to be pleasurable, and because Death is only an extended sleep, it must also be pleasurable. The speaker continues with comparing sleep to Death, commenting “From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be / much pleasure then from thee much more must flow”. Again, it undercuts Death’s assumed power to show Death as something not to be feared. This comparison of sleep to Death is used to prove that Death is not the end all be all, it is merely a short break from life. The speaker explains to Death that he cannot really kill anyone, as he is but “one short sleep past, we wake eternally ”. This meter effectively mimics conversation, and by using it, the author is showing that Death can be spoken to as if it were but a mere person, and not a divine power. This personification is also reflected in the style of the poem, a sonnet, as it is written in iambic pentameter.
Death is personified as a human that the speaker talks to in order to portray that Death is not as divine as once thought. The speaker begins with a strong statement, explaining “For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow / Die not, poor Death”. In conjunction with the metaphysical elements, the poem also contains many poetic devices to personify Death and undermine his power and importance. In “Death be Not Proud” by John Donne, the author uses metaphysical and poetry techniques to convey the idea that Death should not be feared.
0 kommentar(er)
