GRADE 11 C 11TH SEPTEMBER, 2025
ENGLISH LITERATURE
POETRY
Death Be Not Proud by John Donne
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.
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 go,
Rest 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.
Summary
“Holy Sonnet 10,” often referred to as “Death, Be Not Proud,” was written in the
seventeenth century in England by the English poet and Christian cleric John
Donne in 1609 and first published in 1633. At that time, the British were
strengthening her control across the world. There was also social, religious turmoil,
indecisions, instability, and violence. There was also a revolution when England
went through the “dark ages.” There were diseases such as the bubonic plague
and degeneration. Donne converted from Catholicism to Anglicanism and these
religious beliefs stand at the forefront of “Death, be not Proud.” He intertwines his
thoughts about death and the afterlife in the poem. Also, Donne alludes to the
Christian idea that death is a short nap before eternal peace.
People generally feel good after sleep and rest, the poem reasons, so why shouldn’t
they feel good after death? Death is simply a rest for men’s “bones”—their
physical selves—while their souls move on to the afterlife.
The sonnet is written mostly in iambic pentameter and is part of a series known as
Donne's "Holy Sonnets"(or “Divine Meditations”/ “Divine Sonnets”). In keeping
with these other poems, “Holy Sonnet 10” is a devotional lyric that looks at life’s
biggest questions in the context of Donne’s religious beliefs.
bubonic plague - an infection spread mostly to humans by infected fleas that
travel on rodents. Called the Black Death, it killed millions of Europeans during
the Middle Ages. Prevention involves reducing your exposure to mice, rats,
squirrels and other animals that may be infected.
degeneration- degenerative disease is the result of a continuous process based on
degenerative cell changes, affecting tissues or organs, which will increasingly
deteriorate over time.
Questions
Religious Imagery
Religious imagery in literature involves the use of words, phrases, and symbolic
elements to evoke ideas related to a divine being, spiritual practices, or religious
concepts, often creating vivid mental pictures for the reader. This imagery can
describe holy figures (like a priest or an angel), religious symbols (such as
a cross, lotus flower, or crescent moon), or sacred settings, but can also be
metaphorical, comparing a mundane situation to a religious one to emphasize its
importance or significance.
1. How do religious themes, such as eternal life and resurrection, contribute to
the speaker’s perspective on death?
2. In what ways does the religious imagery influence the meaning of the poem?
Imagery
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the
human senses.
3. Explore the use of imagery in the poem, particularly in phrases like “rest and
sleep.” How does this imagery shape the reader’s understanding of death?
Personification
Personification is a figurative language technique where non-human things are
given human traits to create vivid, emotional descriptions.
Writers use personification to make scenes more relatable, engaging, and
emotionally impactful
4. Why does the poet choose to personify death in the poem?
5. How does addressing death directly impact the overall tone and message of
the poem?
Multiple Choice
1. What is the central theme of “Death be not Proud”?
a. The fear of death
b. The inevitability of death
c. The defiance against death
d. The acceptance of death
2. Which literary device is prominently used in the poem to address death as if
it were a person?
a. Simile
b. Metaphor
c. Personification
d. Hyperbole
3. What does the speaker compare death to in the poem?
a. Eternal sleep
b. A powerful adversary
c. Endless suffering
d. Joyful existence
4. What religious concept does the poem draw upon to provide comfort in the
face of death?
a. Reincarnation
b. Karma
c. Eternal life and resurrection
d. Nirvana
5. How does the speaker feel about death’s power?
a. Fearful
b. Reverent
c. Defiant
d. Accepting
Home Work
Consider the historical context in which John Donne wrote this poem. How might
the attitudes towards death in the 17th century have influenced the poem?
