Be Not Proud” by John Donne and “Sonnet 71” by William Shakespeare

The two poems provide a complete contrast as regard to “Death”. Death Be Not Proud” is written by a Christian Minister (John Donne) and is therefore based on a religious theme, inclusive of the idea of an after life. The second poem however is written by William Shakespeare and is a secular poem, and deals with “Death” as a physical reality, which is unavoidable. Shakespeare writes more negatively and makes “Death” powerful, whereas “Death Be Not Proud” gives more hope and is written as if Death is a person, to make “Death” less powerful and mortal.

Through the entire poem, Donne speaks directly to Death. He personifies what to Man, has always been a spirit and has never been touched, seen or furthermore killed. He gives Death life (a person) and therefore makes it mortal, exposing it to pain, torment and eventually defeat.

In the first four lines of the poem, John Donne aggressively and directly addresses Death, his tone critical and belittling. He begins by saying,

“Death be not proud… for thou art not soe;”

This clearly expressing the fact that once Death delivers us through a short sleep to eternal life, Death itself is rendered useless and will “die” as it can never take you again. He is consequently mortal.

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

Which expresses his view that Death has hardly any power over us. This is due to the fact that Death cannot collect our souls unless these people (chance, kings and desperate men) act to cause our downfall.

The narrator goes against us being slaves to death and says that Death is a slave to fate, chance and us. Without fate nothing could be determined, therefore, our fate is truthfully what controls our lives and deaths. It decides when our time has been completed on this earth, and then comes Death to take us away. Chance plays a huge part in ones destiny as well, because at any time, anything could happen that will also require Death to come. We, however, play the largest role when it comes to our deaths. Both desperate men and kings can cause Death at any time; therefore we should leave open the option that we control what happens to us after all.

Some topics in this essay:
Fate Chance, John Donne, Death Chance, William Shakespeare, Death’s Master, Shakespeare’s Sonnet, Compare Theme, john donne, Death Proud”, chance kings desperate, Donne Death, poison war, death slave, kings desperate, war sickness, fate chance, slave fate, “death proud”, chance kings, poison war sickness, slave fate chance, “death” powerful, fate chance kings, war sickness dwell”,