Death Be Not Proud

Anna Cantwell
Mrs. Jernigan
AP English Lit
23 February 2011
Death Be Not Proud
“Death Be Not Proud” is the title of John Donne’s infamous denouncement of death itself. Written in the Petrarchan sonnet style, it flows seamlessly—almost so seamlessly that one might not recognize the irony and paradox prevalent in the sonnet. Donne allows in his initial claim that some do dub death a mighty entity to be feared; however, he states this isn’t so. Those who fear death fall claim to it, for death represents much more than a coffin in the ground, but the ending of a life on earth. Perhaps this is why Donne even denounces death in the first place. Death cannot but kill a body and never a soul. In fact, the paradox rests that death is a form of birth, birth into a new life.
The rhyme scheme (a b b a a b b a) goes back in forth to mirror this wavering line of death and life in the body, and death and life in the soul. He taunts death with the question of his own existent—can anyone really die? Those he “[overthrows] die not”. Therefore, death must truly hang his head low, for he cannot fully accomplish the purpose of his very existence.
Further, Donne argues that even in death, we experience pleasure (hopefully); death releases us from the terrors and tribulations, burdens and boundaries of earth. Our bones may now rest and our soul is delivered to its final resting place.
The volta comes when Donne addresses Fate and Chance. While we may see ourselves as being slave to Death, Fate and Chance enslave him. At this point Donne no longer begs for a lack of pride, but boasts in the worthlessness and foolishness of Death.
My favorite line is “One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally”. Our souls sleep for our earthly life because this isn’t their final destination. Ironically enough, we are more alive, awake, aware after we are dead—so should we not thank Death? Death aims to bind us, but frees us; death attempts to frighten us, yet we should welcome it. Death takes us home