![]() Such an address to something that we realistically know can’t be listening is called an apostrophe. The poem begins by addressing Death dramatically and directly. Thou’rt slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperateĪnd dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell Īnd poppy or charms can make us sleep as well,Īnd better than thy stroke. Why swell’st thouĪnd Death shall be no more: Death, thou shalt die. Much pleasure then from thee much more mustĪnd soonest our best men with thee do go. Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so įor those whom thou think’ st thou dost overthrowĭie not, poor Death nor yet canst thou kill me.įrom rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Poem Text Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Paul’s in 1621 and devoted the majority of his life to writing sermons and other religious works until his death in 1631. He was finally ordained in early 1615 and quickly became one of the most respected clergymen of his time. From 1611 to 1612 Donne accompanied Sir Robert Drury to France on a long diplomatic mission, during which he composed some of his most acclaimed verse letters, funeral poems, holy sonnets and love poems, in particular “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning.” Returning to England in 1612, Donne considered becoming an Anglican minister, but hesitated because of self-doubt. In 1610 he published his first work, Pseudo-Martyr, which attempted to induce English Catholics to repudiate their allegiance to Rome (home of the Catholic Church) and take an oath of allegiance to the British crown. ![]() Eventually, he converted from Roman Catholicism to Anglicism, and was enlisted by Sir Thomas Morton to aid him in writing anti-Catholic pamphlets. In 1602 Donne was released and, now unemployed, spent the next thirteen years trying to gain financial security for his family. When the news became public, More’s father unsuccessfully endeavored to annul the marriage, but did succeed in imprisoning Donne for a short period of time. In December, 1601, he clandestinely married Egerton’s sixteen-year-old niece Ann More. Seeking adventure, Donne sailed with the English expeditions against the Spanish, and his experiences inspired the poems “The Storm,” “The Calm,” and “The Burnt Ship.” The following year, Donne returned to London and became secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton. ![]() After leaving Oxford, he studied law in London and received his degree in 1596. It has been speculated that it was this very discrimination that prevented Donne from completing his studies at Oxford University. His family was of Roman Catholic faith (his mother was a relative of the Catholic martyr Sir Thomas More), and he grew up experiencing the religious discrimination of the Anglican majority in England against Catholics. Author Biographyĭonne was born in London in 1572. Since only through Death can humanity achieve the eternal life God promises. Further, even though Death has power, its power is severely limited. Systematically the poem instructs Death to give up its pride, since it will ultimately be defeated. The sonnet addresses Death directly as if it were a person, an example of the devices of apostrophe and personification. He constructs “Holy Sonnet 10” around one of the central paradoxes of Christianity: that Christ’s sacrifice will ultimately mean the death of Death. But no strict chronological line splits his secular poems from his religious ones for example, he probably wrote his great love poem “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” at about the same time as some of his religious works.ĭonne apparently loved the intellectual challenges of paradox, one of the key characteristics of metaphysical poetry. Before composing his “Divine Poems,” Donne had achieved fame for writing skillful and often cynical poetry in celebration of sexual love. “Holy Sonnet 10” belongs to the latter part of Donne’s output, the religious works known as his “Divine Poems,” famous because they dramatically create a feeling of a personal and often agonized relationship between the speaker and God. The poem was first published in 1633, two years after Donne’s death during his life, however, his poetry became well known because it circulated privately in manuscript and handwritten copies among literate Londoners. Donne most likely wrote “Holy Sonnet 10” in 1609 but, like most poetry of that time, it did not appear in print during the poet’s lifetime.
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