DEATH NOT BE PROUD BY JOHN DONNE

Metaphysical Poetry John Donne Why metaphysical poetry ? Analysis of Poem “Death not be proud” Literary Devices How to use literary work in theclassroom References

OUTLINE

Meta : after, beyondPhysical : concreteMetaphysical : after the physical Metaphysics deals with questions that can't be explained by science.It questions the nature of reality in a philosophical way.

METAPHYSICAL POETRY

These are questions about the nature of reality in a philosophical way.

• Does God exist?• What is the reality and perception?• Is everything that happens already

predetermined, if so free choice non-existent?

There is no one correct answer to any of thesequestions. Metaphysical is about exploration and

philosophy,not about science and math. If it were possible to sum up the metaphysicalpoetry in one word, it would be “energetic” !There is an energy of mind and emotions.

“Metaphysical poetry” is not regarded as a genreof poetry.• It is also described as “Post Renaissance Period “ It is a term coined by Samuel Johnson. Literary critic and poet Samuel Johnson firstcoined the term 'metaphysical poetry' in his book.The name of the book is Lives of the Most EminentEnglish Poets (1179-1781). Metaphysical poetry has its roots in 17th centuryEngland.

Metaphysical poems are all highly intellectualized,

they contain large doses of wit. Use rather strange imagery, Use frequent paradox, Contain extremely complicated thoughts. Wholeness : humanbeings = emotion + intellect + body +

soul

CHARACTERISTICS OF METAPHYSICAL POETRY

Metaphysical poets examined serious questions

about existence of God ! Metaphysical poetry tried to shock the readerand wake people from their normal existence inorder to question the existence of God !

Paradoxes and puns are used in MetaphysicalPoetry. The poetry mixed ordinary speech withparadoxes and puns.Weird comparisons are also used in the poetry.Poets compared unlikely things. They are called

as“conceits”. lovers compared to a compass

Metaphysical poetryexplored some commonthemes. They all had areligious sentiment.Many of the poemsexplored the themeof carpe diem (seize theday) and investigated thehumanity of life (boththoughts and feelings).

LoveDeathLifeReligion & Science ExistenceBody and soul Emotion Passion and logicSin and redemption Real and the ideal Carnal and divine love Time and eternityRational termsSexuality

TOPICS OF METAPHYSICAL POETRY

METAPHYSICAL POETS

John Donne

George Herbert

Richard CrashawAndrew Marvell

Henry Vaughan

Henry Vaughan (17 April1621 – 23 April 1695) was aWelsh author, physician andmetaphysical poet. He was greatly effectedby George Herbert. He lead to religious poetry.

HENRY VAUGHAN

George Herbert (3 April1593 – 1 March 1633)

was aWelsh-born English poet, orator and Anglican

priest. Throughout his life, hewrote religious poemscharacterized by aprecision of language.

GEORGE HERBERT

Andrew Marvell (31 March1621 – 16 August 1678)

wasan English metaphysicalpoet and politician who sat

inthe House of Commons.Marvell's most celebratedlyric, "To His Coy Mistress",combines an old poeticconceit.

ANDREW MARVELL

Richard Crashaw (c. 1613– 21 August 1649), was an English poet, styled "the divine," and known as one of the Metaphysical poets. His work is said to be marked by a focus

toward"love with the smaller graces of life".

RICHARD CRASHAW

John Donne is a BritishRenaissance poet famousfor his poems of life,

deathand religion. He is considered as thefounder of metaphysicalpoetry and master of themetaphysical conceit. 

JOHN DONNE ( 1573-1631)

He was born and raised in a Catholic family during

a strong anti-Catholic period in England.He lost many relatives to martyrdom - they

wereeither exiled or executed.He entered Oxford University at age 11, laterthe university of Cambridge but never receiveddegrees because of his Catholicism.

He started his life as Catholic, later he conversed

into a different sect and in 1610 wrote anti-Catholic “Pseudo-Martyr”. In 1615, Donne converted to Anglicanism and

wasappointed Royal Chaplain.

He is often dubbed as metaphysical poetry due tohis complex relationship with God and Romanticthemes.His writing was charismatic and inventive. Hiscompelling examination of the mortal paradoxinfluenced English poets for generations.As John Donne’s health continued to fail him, hebecame obsessed with death. Before he died, hedelivered a pre-funeral sermon “death’s duel’’ !

Pseudo-MartryDeath Not Be ProudThe Broken HeartThe FleaA Valediction: ForbiddingMourningHymn to God, my God, in mySicknessHoly SonnetsThe Sun Rising

WORKS OF JOHN DONNE

Why metaphysical poetry ?

religious motifs & Donne has a life controversy with religion, He has contradictions about God’s exist, but as a priest he worked.Death & fear of death is the most applied topics but poets behave as if they were not afraid of death.Sexuality & he is playgoing and visiting with ladies ??

Analysis of the poem

oThis sonnet is one of many sonnets that are parts of collection called the Holy Sonnets.

oThis collection is comprised of nineteen sonnets with themes that pertain to Christian philosophy.

Death, not be 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 goRest 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.

Donne declares against death to “avoid being proud”Everybody treats death like a king , people think that death has power to do terrible thingsIn contrast, Donne sees the death as something weak and irrelevant.

Death, be not proud, Some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so

Death thinks that he has the power to kill people but he actually does notOverthrow = overcome ( the battle of life & death ) Saying “poor death” , he diminishes Death’s formidabilityThe aim of these lines are humiliating/negating. Donne uses the idea of Christian eternity to argue that death is something that people pass through on their way to a eternal life.

For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

using logic, Donne is stating that since death appears outwardly to be merely a sleep and sleep being a pleasurable thing, death must be even more pleasurable (contradiction) He compares death to "rest" and "sleep,“two things giving us "pleasure.“ He claims that rest and sleep are only "pictures" of death. (because you're not moving, your eyes are closed as you were dead.)

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,

God takes good people because he needs them ,thus they stop suffering and they will be rest in peace.They are the hardest-working and bravest people in society, so they (whom we love ) get to kick their feet back and enjoy eternal rest before everyone else.Delivery = freedom

And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.

With the metaphor of the slave, he suggests that Death doesn’t act on his own free will, and it is controlled or manipulated by other things like "fate, chance, kings, and desperate men.“slave: death is only a servant of events that end life: bad luck, accidents, royal decrees, murder, war, and illnessesDeath : angel of death , no internal power but external – from God , So, Death doesn’t decide when people will die; he just carries out orders from Fate

Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,

poppy or charms: drugs made from poppy seeds can also induce sleep–and do it better than death canWe have the power of kill ourselves too , what makes death even more irrelevant The "poppy" is a flower used to make opium, an old-fashioned drug that makes people really happy, but also turns their skin yellow.

And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?

And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?

Charms : magic spells (that all kinds of people can do)

In fact, drugs and magic charms work even "better" than Death at bringing on sleep.

And, "stroke" is another interesting word.It could refer to "stroking" someone, like one might stroke a child’s head to put him to sleep.

pertaining to the Christian concept of eternal life.In Christianity, it is thought that, when people die, it is like they are asleep until the end of the world or Judgment Day.Then they will have a life everlasting in Heaven. There is no “death” there.

Death will be dead anyway.

One short sleep past, we wake eternally And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

Donne, and the Metaphysical Poets in general, are masters of the surprise ending, and this one is no exception.It’s a classic Metaphysical Poet move to end a poem on a line that seems to contradict itself.It cites the Christian hope of eternal life as the ultimate escape from deathIt passionately argues against formidability of death.

THEMES METAPHORSMETONYMYPERSONIFICATION ALLITERATION RHYME PARADOX IRONY

LITERARY DEVICES

THEMES

Immortality & Death The poem takes an assertive stand against mortality. It makes the paradoxical statement that mortality is itself mortal. In other words, death doesn’t exist in the long run. But, the speaker wouldn’t make this argument if he didn’t fear that maybe death is the end.

Dreams,hopes & plans The big dream and hope in the poem is to defeat Death and go to Heaven.

Courage Throughout the entire length of the poem, the speaker never once drops his guard.

Religion Judgement Day

Death=Slave death is only a servant of events that end life: bad luck, accidents, royal decrees, murder, war, and illness 

Short sleep the moment of death waiting for the Judgement

Day

Sleep and rest the picture of death

A resemblance of two contradictory or different objects is made based on a single or some common characteristics.

METAPHORS

METONYMY

‘Poppy and charms‘ o Refers to the use of opium and magic to produce sleep, or, ambiguously, to produce a gentle death. Technically ‘poppy' is a metonymy rather than a metaphor: it is what is derived from the poppy that is the opiate, not literally the flower itself. Charms and drugs are made from poppy seeds can. Charms could be done by people.‘Our best men’o Christian people

It is a figure of speech that replaces the name of a thing with the name of something else with which it is closely associated.

PERSONIFICATION and APOSTROPHE

Donne declares the “death” as you as if the death is a “person” and by saying ‘Death, be not proud ’ and ‘poor Death’ , he uses apostrophe.

Apostrophe used in literature is an arrangement of words addressing a non-existent person or an abstract idea in such a way as if it were present and capable of understanding feelings. A writer or a speaker, using an apostrophe, detaches himself from the reality and addresses an imaginary character in his speech.

Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing, an idea or an animal is given human attributes. The non-human objects are portrayed in such a way that we feel they have the ability to act like human beings.

PARADOX & IRONY

Donne ends the poem with paradox and irony: Death, thou shalt die.

Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that may end up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between the appearance and the reality.

Paradox is from the Greek word “paradoxon” that means contrary to expectations, existing belief or perceived opinion. It is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth. It is. also used to illustrate an opinion or statement contrary to accepted traditional ideas. A paradox is often used to make a reader think over an idea in innovative way

ALLITERATION Repetition of the consonant sounds in the same line at the beginning of the word.

For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then One short sleep past, we wake eternally ***One begins with a w sound; thus, it alliterates with we and wake And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die

RHYME

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee A Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so; BFor those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow BDie not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. A

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, AMuch pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, BAnd soonest our best men with thee do go, BRest of their bones, and soul's delivery. A

Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, CAnd dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell, DAnd poppy or charms can make us sleep as well DAnd better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then? C One short sleep past, we wake eternally AAnd death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die. A

Referring to Shakespearean

sonnets

How to use literary work in the classroom ?

Getting in the mood Teacher makes students inhabit the death scene in their mind (for advanced class )

Creating a sketch of the author By showing different pictures of poet in different times , students are asked to analyse the character of John Donne

Jungle Poem / Acrostic Teacher makes students write a poem. The first letters of each line spell a name, ex. death.You have the conchStudents are asked to speak about Metaphysical poetry in a limited time.They have a conch. Whoever has the conch he/she is asked to share his/her knowledgeDoodle and ListenStudents are listened the poem and are asked to make small drawings without purpose

D……………E……………A……………T……………H……………

REFERENCEShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Herberthttp://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/

rfletcher/bl-rfletcher-history-5-donne.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Crashawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Vaughanhttp://crossref-it.info/textguide/metaphysical-

poets-selected-poems/4/845http://poemshape.wordpress.com/

2009/03/18/john-donne-the-meter-of-death-be-not-proud/

http://www.adnax.com/biogs/jd.htm

http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/brief-guide-metaphysical-poets

http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/john-donne

http://www.biography.com/people/john-donne-9277090#synopsis

http://www.gradesaver.com/donne-poems/study-guide/summary-holy-sonnet-10-death-be-not-proud

http://literarydevices.net/paradox/

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