ENGL 102
POETRY ESSAY: THESIS AND OUTLINE
Poetry Essay
Name: Andrea Pfau
Writing Style Used: APA
Thesis statement: The sonnet "Death, be not proud" is largely recognized as the finest
philosophical poetry of the seventeenth century. Most poet's works deal with themes of
everlasting existence, mortality, and resurrection. This poem, with its combination of heavenly
thinking and sanctity, is one of Donne's greatest.
Outline:
I. First Supporting Point: The setting of "Death, be not proud" is purposely vague.
a. The poem occurs mostly on Earth, not in any celestial dimension.
b.
II. Second Supporting Point: Death is represented in the poem as a prideful character
who takes great pride in its reputation as "mighty and dreadful."
a. According to the speaker, people would feel even greater "pleasure" after passing
away, just as they usually feel refreshed after obtaining some sleep.
b. People's "bones," or bodily selves, are said to find relief at death, while their souls
move on to the afterlife.
III. Third Supporting Point: The speaker frequently mentions sleep and repose in his
argument against the force of death.
a. These acts represent death's impermanence and even healing character.
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ENGL 102
b. When someone sleeps, they are unconscious and hence cut off from their
interactions with the environment and other people (just as they will be after
death).
IV. Conclusion: In conclusion, the sonnet “Death Not Be Proud,” is a vague but
meaningful synopsis of someone's view on death.
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ENGL 102
The sonnet "Death, be not proud" is largely recognized as the finest philosophical poetry of
the seventeenth century. Most poet's works deal with themes of everlasting existence, mortality,
and resurrection. This poem, with its combination of heavenly thinking and sanctity, is one of
Donne's greatest.
The setting of "Death, be not proud" is purposely vague. The poem occurs on Earth, not in
any celestial dimension. Its overriding subject discusses death's importance on Earth and
advocates against the fear of dying. However, other passages throughout the poem demonstrate a
link to the 17th century, implying a specific European, likely English, setting.
Within "Holy Sonnet 10," the poet makes a strong case for why death is not the final word on
humankind. The speaker aims to downplay death's apparent supremacy by portraying "Death" as
a conceited and arrogant individual and implying that it is only a time of rest. The afterlife,
which lies beyond this repose and represents humanity's ultimate triumph over death, is nearby.
This viewpoint offers consolation and hope in the face of mortality's eventual victory over death.
Death is represented in the poem as a prideful character who takes great pride in its
reputation as "mighty and dreadful." But the speaker meets death head-on, believing it to be
small and weak and that it cannot "kill" him or anybody else. The speaker makes the case that
dying isn't the terrible end that most people think it is. Rather, death is compared to a more
profound form of "sleep." According to the speaker, people would feel even greater "pleasure"
after passing away, just as they usually feel refreshed after obtaining some sleep. People's
"bones," or bodily selves, are said to find relief at death, while their souls move on to the
afterlife.
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ENGL 102
The speaker frequently mentions sleep and repose in his argument against the force of death.
These acts represent death's impermanence and even healing character. When someone sleeps,
they are unconscious and hence cut off from their interactions with the environment and other
people (just as they will be after death). However, sleep is also a type of rejuvenating retreat—
good for both mind and body—that everyone needs. As a result, assuming death is a form of
sleep, there is nothing to fear; sleep is beneficial. If death is a form of "super-sleep," it is
something to look forward to.
The speaker further deflates death's vanity by describing it as a "slave" to earthly things.
Death, according to the speaker, has no mastery over anything; it is subject to "fate, chance,
kings, and desperate men" and associated with poor, disgusting things such as "poison, war, and
sickness." Even as a type of rest, the speaker says, death isn't very impressive: "poppy" (opiate
medications) and "charms" (magic and spells) are considerably more effective sleep aids!
In conclusion, the sonnet “Death Not Be Proud,” is a vague but meaningful synopsis of
someone's view on death. The sonnet portrays death as something to be neither feared nor
esteemed, but rather as a transient state that lacks the power to conquer the human spirit.
Through vivid imagery and compelling language, the poem delves into the complex emotions
and philosophical contemplations accompanying the inevitability of mortality.
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