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Jagruti Rameshbhai Vasani

Semester:-1

Roll no:- 54

Paper 1:- The Renaissance Literature

                 (Assignment)

                Critical analysis on ‘death be not proud ‘

Submitted :- Smt. Gardi English department

                        MKBU

               

ABOUT THE POET:- John Donne

         John donne was born in 1572 in London.He is known as the founder of the metaphysical poets,a term created by Samuel Johnson, an eighteenth century English essayist,poet and philosopher.The loosely associated group also includes George Herbert , Richard Crashaw , Andrew marvell and john Cleveland. The metaphysical poets known for their ability to startle the reader and coax new perpesctive through paradoxical images, subtle argument , inventive syntax, and imagery from art ,philosophy and religion using an extended metaphor known as a conceit.Donne reached beyond the rational and hierarchical structures of the seventeenth century with his exacting and ingenious conceits, advancing the exploratory spirit of his time.

In 1590 Donne wrote most of his love lyrics, erotic verse, and some scared poems.

In 1598 naval expedition against spain.

In 1601 donne secretly married anne more.

In 1607 he published divine poems.

In 1610 published Pseudo-Martyr.

In 1615 he displayed his extensive knowledge of the laws of church and state.

In 1617 he was appointed royal chaplain, enter the Anglican ministry.

In 1621 he became dean of saint paul’s cathedral,writing reflected his fear of his inevitable death.

In 1624 he wrote his private prayer and devotions upon emergent occasions during a period of sever illness and published them.

In 1631 best known foe his vivaous, compelling style. Donne died in London.

Metaphysical poetry :-

  Metaphysical poetry occupies a unique place in the history of English poetry. A group of poets emerged in the beginning of the seventeenth century, in the age of Milton or Jacobean age which tried to write poetry in altogether different way and their poetry come to be known as the metaphysical poetry.

 Characteristics of metaphysical poetry :-

1.   The first characteristic is that metaphysicals were the men of learning and scholarship by scholarly in the writing of their poems. They wanted to distinguse themselves from the elizabethen age and so they used difficult language in their poems.

2.   According to Samuel Johnson the poetry of donne and his followers stood a trial of their finger but not a trial of their ears. The meaning is, they were scholars in the writing of poetry but there is no music or rhythm in the metaphysical poetry. All the metaphysicals were scholars and they could prove it but they could not prove that thet loved music.

3.   Far fetched images and conceits is the most remarkable feature of the metaphysical poetry. Those poets were not happy with the routin images used by the Elizabethans. Thet wanted to bring new images to distingues themselves

And so they need their imaged for different field like biology,science,agriculture and engineering. Sometimes they depend upon geometry also to bring their images. And to use them for the writing of their poems. George hurbert’s “pulley” and marvel’s poem with the best “ To his coy mistress” are the best examples.

4.   One critic Helen c. white dependes the metaphysical poets stating that:

“ It was the demand of time for donne and his school to write poetry in a different way. Had they presented the theme of love and Christianity in the same manner. Just like the Elizabethans, they would have been rejected by the readers. Change was the demand of time and they gave that change in their poetry.”

5.   One more critic Helen gardener mentions that:

“Donne and his schools changed the whole perspective of a writing poetry . they wrote poems in a way in which it was not even imagined by others.

“Death Be Not Proud”

     Death be not proud is one of the holy sonnets written by john donne.In a present sonnet donne wants to show that death is not something to be afraid of and death is not lightly or powerful either so where is no need for any person to be afraid of death.

     The sonnet opens with poet’s address to death in which he warns death not to be proud of course some people consider death mighty and dangerous but in reality death is neither mightly or dangerous. Death belives that it life of the people but in reality they do not die. If the poet has to draw a picture of man sleaping or taking rest the wants to say that death offers sleep and rest to every person and so joy is to be derived out of death.

     The poet here gives one example of the best people of the world who have also died in course of time the poet goes upto to the extent of saying that the best people of the world have gone away with death very soon. Death simply offers rest to body and soul is delivered to a new body. So there is no need for anybody to be afraid of death. The poet is of the opinion that death is a slave of faith chance. King and desperate men.(man is distress) the meaning is that he die when we are failed(destined)

To die or we die because of accident chance some times death penalty by the king some other times when we are in distress and we decided to commite sucide death comes to us. There are three places where death lives forever. These three places are poison war and sickness the meaning is that sometimes we die because of poison or war or sickness. The poet find a remarkable different between sleep caused by mother’s charms. Death causes sleep but with a havy strock where as mother’s charms cause sleep to us but in a very slow and mild way.

     The poet concludes the sonnet telling that it should not be proud because death is nothing except one short sleep and after that short sleep we get up once again with a new enthusiasm. If death is accepted in a new manner. There will not be any death at all and death it self would die.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS :-

   Death be not proud is one of many religious sonnets by john donne. The speaker begins the poem with a stream of arguments to undermine man’s after all who has not questioned the nature of his or her existence after dying ? people are curious and tend to fear the unknown donne ends his admonishment very boldly : “ Death thou shalt die”  by introducing the spoken voice , donne broke new ground in the realm of English poetry . here , too the poet seems to have favored apostrophes and dramatic monologue that lend immediacy and urgency to his rhetoric . in a typical metaphysical approach donne castigates the power and negates the dread of death .

 Adept at religious concepts donne says ‘ Rest and sleep ‘ are pictures of death. Since rest and sleep refresh and relieve us death being something akin to sleep , would certainly be more  salubrious . the argument , however spurious . re enforces his point of view and allays the fear of death.

   “ From rest and sleep , which yet thy pictures be ,

      Much pleasure , then from thee much more ,

      Must low . “

 The comparison made between sleep and death echo’s  the words of the holy kuran .

God receives men’s souls at the time of their death and that soul which dies not yet in its sleep . He keeps that soul for which he has ordained death and dismisses the rest till an appointed time.

Death is but a pathway to eternal life , and as such is not something “ mighty and dreadful “ as some may belive it to be . “

The personification of death creates a feeling that death is less powerful than we think . Donne creates and images of death that is not mysterious , not in control , and a slave of law status . “

● First , he returns to the idea of death as ‘sleep’ which gets a bit more complicated here because he gives a time – frame : it’s a short sleep. “

● In traditional Christian theology , it is thought that, when people died, it is like they are asleep untill the end of the world or judgement day.

● At this point , jesus wakes everyone up to lead them to heaven, where they will spend eternity.

● Therefore, when the apocalypse happens and the world ends , there isn’t any more death. All good Christians will have eternal life in heaven.

● The poem’s final words seal the deal : “ Death, thou shalt die .”

● If this is an action movie, this is be the witty line the hero says right before wasting the villain, like Arnold , baby, “ in terminator 2 “.

● And , by the way , it also makes no sense on a literal level.

● Assuming death does not kill himself , who’s going to kill him other than , um , death ?

● Clearly the final “ die “ just means that he won’t exist anymore.

● It’s a classic  metaphysical poet move to end a poem on a line that seems to contradict itself.

● But he sure got the better of that chump , death.

                       “ As he that fears God,

                           Fears nothing else.

                        So he that sees God,

                            Sees everything else. 

                                              -        John Donne