- Metaphysical poets, selected poems
- John Donne: Poem analysis
-
Death be not Proud
- Aire and Angels
- A Hymn to God the Father
- At the Round Earth's Imagin'd Corners
- Elegie XVI: On his Mistris
- 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 Flea
- This is my playes last scene
- What if this present
- Synopsis of Death be not Proud
Metaphysical poets, selected poems Contents
- Introduction
- Timeline
- Images
-
Author(s)
- Donne, John
- John Donne's early life
- John Donne - from Catholic to Protestant
- John Donne's marriage and its aftermath
- John Donne - The Reverend Dean
- Herbert, George
- Crashaw, Richard
- Vaughan, Henry
- Marvell, Andrew
- King, Henry
- Lovelace, Richard
- Cowley, Abraham
- Philips, Katherine
- Cleveland, John
- Who were the Metaphysicals?
- The context of Metaphysical Poetry
- John Donne: Poem analysis
- Aire and Angels
- A Hymn to God the Father
- A Hymn to God, my God, in my Sicknesse Show more
- A Nocturnall upon St. Lucies day Show more
- At the Round Earth's Imagin'd Corners
- A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Show more
- Synopsis of Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
- Commentary on Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
- Language and tone in Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
- Structure and versification in Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
- Imagery and symbolism in Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
- Themes in Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
- A Valediction: of Weeping Show more
- Batter my heart Show more
- Death be not Proud
- Elegie XIX: Going to Bed Show more
- Elegie XVI: On his Mistris
- Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward Show more
- 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 Show more
- The Flea
- The Good-morrow Show more
- The Sunne Rising Show more
- This is my playes last scene Show more
- Twicknam Garden Show more
- What if this present
- George Herbert: Poem analysis
- Aaron
- Affliction I Show more
- Death Show more
- Discipline
- Easter Wings
- Jordan I
- Jordan II
- Life
- Love II
- Man
- Prayer I
- Redemption Show more
- The Church-floore
- The Collar Show more
- Vertue
- Richard Crashaw: Poem analysis
- Hymn in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
- Hymn to St Teresa Show more
- St Mary Magdalene, or the Weeper Show more
- To the Countesse of Denbigh
- Henry Vaughan: Poem analysis
- Ascension - Hymn Show more
- Man
- Regeneration Show more
- 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 Show more
- The Garden Show more
- The Mower Against Gardens Show more
- 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 Show more
- 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 Show more
- 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
Synopsis of Death be not Proud
The sonnet Death be not Proud is one of Donne's Holy Sonnets or Divine Poems. Clearly the theme is death, but the poem is considerably more positive about death and dying than some of his other sonnets, especially Oh my blacke Soule! and This is my playes last scene. Unlike in those two poems, there is no sense that Donne feels he is near death. In fact, he claims that it is no threat to him, and boldly strikes a defiant pose that is both dramatic and draws on profound Christian conviction.
Watch Death be not Proud Accompanying teaching resources |
A sonnet is a poem with a special structure. It has fourteen lines, which are organised in a particular manner, usually characterised by the pattern of rhyming, which changes as the ideas in the poem evolve.
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