crossref-it.info - AS/A2 English Literature Study Guides - texts in context.In this study guide:
- Introduction
- Timeline
- Author(s)
- Donne, John
- Herbert, George
- Crashaw, Richard
- Vaughan, Henry
- Marvell, Andrew
- Who were the Metaphysicals?
- The context of Metaphysical Poetry
- Social / political context
- Religious / philosophical context
- Literary context: ideas and innovations
- John Donne: Poem analysis
- Aire and Angels
- A Hymn to God the Father
- A Hymn to God, my God, in my Sicknesse
- A Nocturnall upon St. Lucies day
- At the Round Earth's Imagin'd Corners
- A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
- Synopsis of Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
- Commentary on Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
- Themes in Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
- Imagery and symbolism in Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
- Language and tone in Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
- Structure and versification in Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
- A Valediction: of Weeping
- Batter my heart
- Death be not Proud
- Elegie XIX: Going to Bed
- Elegie XVI: On his Mistris
- Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward
- Lovers' Infiniteness
- Oh my blacke Soule!
- Satyre III: 'On Religion'
- Show me Deare Christ
- Since She Whom I Lov'd
- Song: Goe, and catche a falling starre
- The Anniversarie
- The Dreame
- The Extasie
- The Flea
- The Good-morrow
- The Sunne Rising
- This is my playes last scene
- Twicknam Garden
- What if this present
- George Herbert: Poem analysis
- Aaron
- Affliction I
- Death
- Discipline
- Easter Wings
- Jordan I
- Jordan II
- Life
- Love II
- Man
- Prayer I
- Redemption
- The Church-floore
- The Collar
- Vertue
- Richard Crashaw: Poem analysis
- Hymn in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
- Hymn to St Teresa
- St Mary Magdalene, or the Weeper
- To the Countesse of Denbigh
- Henry Vaughan: Poem analysis
- Ascension - Hymn
- Man
- Regeneration
- The Night
- The Retreate
- The Water-fall
- Andrew Marvell: Poem analysis
- A Dialogue between Soul and Body
- On a Drop of Dew
- The Coronet
- The Definition of Love
- The Garden
- The Mower Against Gardens
- The Mower to the Glo-Worms
- The Mower's Song
- The Nymph Complaining for the Death of her Faun
- The Picture of Little T.C. in a Prospect of Flowers
- To his Coy Mistress
- Upon Appleton House, to my Lord Fairfax
- Thomas Carew: Poem analysis
- An Elegie upon the Death of the Deane of Paul's Dr John Donne
- To a Lady that Desired I would Love her
- Henry King: Poem analysis
- Richard Lovelace: Poem analysis
- Abraham Cowley: Poem analysis
- Katherine Philips: Poem analysis
- John Cleveland: Poem analysis
- Themes and significant ideas
- Critical analysis
- Approaching exams and essays
- Resources and further reading
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In this document
John Donne: Poem analysis » Death be not Proud » Themes in Death be not Proud
Making fun of death
Paul describes death as ‘the last enemy’ 1 Corinthians 15:26. Usually the ‘death of death’ is seen in Christian thinking in terms of the death and resurrection of Christ, as Paul presents it. But Donne strikes out in quite another direction. He confronts death and belittles it, in order to take away its ‘sting’. Death is seen as a boastful enemy (see Themes and significant ideas: Death as friend or foe). Donne taunts it and in this way it loses its power in our imagination.
When you think about death and dying, what sort of emotions do you experience? How is it possible to deal with the negative ones? Do you think Donne is really that confident, or is this a piece of bravado, hiding a very real fear? What evidence can you find?
- Today's New International Version
- 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
- King James Version
- 26The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
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