The persona of the poem is a hero, defaming Death and bringing hope and peace to the community. The voice of the hero confronts the cosmic power of Death unafraid. The persona unmasks Death and shows that Death's pride is ill-founded; based on empty accomplishments. Our hero is so great that he/she can show pity for Death's blind pride.

Death, be not 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 These opening stanzas are bold, a very fitting entrance for pride. The voice is assertive, facing Death staunchly. Immediately, the convention of personification is used. Death obtains the human vice of pride.

The author mocks Death and proves Death's pride is undeserved. Death is shown to be a fool. Death's power to take someone's life is personified. Death "overthrows" life. The word choice of "overthrow" is special indeed. It connotes a battle, a war. Thus, life and death are arch-enemies, pitched

And dost with poison, war and sickness dwell.

Donne ends the poem by saying, “One short sleep past, we wake eternally /And Death shall be no more; Death, thou shall die.” We are reminded in these two lines that the short sleep of Death is nothing when compared to the never-ending life that we wake up to the after-life. This then means that in the after-life, Death is rendered useless because he cannot take away our spirit that is already living on. The concluding couplet brings us hope and reminds us that Christ’s death brings us everlasting life. When one thinks about this concept, it is full of great irony. It is only through death that one can obtain eternal life. After “one short sleep past”, we wake forever.

Death’s power is again trampled when Donne says “And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well/ And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then?” Donne contrasts Death to ‘drugs’ and charms, which are simple devices that can bring sleep “as well”. He shows that Death is not as great as charms and ‘poppy’ because one is able to wake up again. Death cannot be proud our haughty because mortal men can do exactly what death does, and better. By revealing the faults and weaknesses of Death, he shows that Death really is quite pathetic. In depicting Death as a tragic figure, Donne takes what little power Death seems to have left and dominate over it.

Some topics in this essay:
Holy Sonnet, Death Death's, Death Death, Death Proud, John Donne’s, reveals death, death proud, rest bones, power death, short sleep, death slave, death death, flow soonest thee, pleasure thee flow, paradox “death die”, pleasure thee, death's pride, flow soonest, thee flow soonest, central paradox “death,