The Metaphysical Poetry PDF

What are the main three words in poetry? 1- poet (the creator) 2- poetry (the creation) 3- poem (the created). A poet is therefore one who creates and poetry is what the poet creates. The underlying concept of the poet as creator is not uncommon. For example, in Anglo-Saxon a poet is a shape...

What are the main three words in poetry? 1- poet (the creator) 2- poetry (the creation) 3- poem (the created). A poet is therefore one who creates and poetry is what the poet creates. The underlying concept of the poet as creator is not uncommon. For example, in Anglo-Saxon a poet is a shaper or maker Poetry is a type of literature based on the interplay of words and rhythm. It often employs rhyme and meter (a set of rules governing the number and arrangement of syllables in each line). -In poetry, words are run together to form sounds, images, and ideas Poem: *- A poem is the arrangement of words that contain meaning and musical elements. It is a piece of writing that expresses the writer’s thought and feelings in order to set a mood; it can be happy or sad, simple or complex. *- A poem can either be rhyming or non-rhyming. It uses symbols and has lines and stanzas that have sentences, fragments of sentences or both. It uses metaphor and alliteration. What are the differences between poetry and prose? The opposite of poetry is “prose” – that is, normal text that runs without line breaks or rhythm. Poetry is probably the oldest form of literature. The oldest written manuscripts we have are poems, mostly epic poems telling the stories of ancient mythology This style of writing may have developed to help people memorize long chains of information in the days before writing. Rhythm and rhyme can make the text more memorable. What is METER? *- Meter—Meter is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables established in a line of poetry. *- The stressed (/) syllable is also called the accented or long syllable. *- The un stressed (U) syllable is also called the unaccented or the short syllable. *- In identifying the meter of a line of verse, the type and the number of feet are considered. What is Foot? A foot is a unit of meter. A metrical foot can have two or three syllables. A foot consists generally of one stressed and one or more unstressed syllables. A line may have one foot, two feet, etc. Poetic lines are classified according to the number of feet in a line. What are the Types of Metrical Feet? The basic types of metrical feet determined by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables are: *- Iambi foot *- Trochaic foot *- Anapestic foot *- Dactylic foot *- Spondaic foot *- Pyrrhic foot Iamb the iambic foot is a two-syllable foot with the stress on the second syllable. The iambic foot is the most common foot in English. Examples of words that are in themselves iambic feet are. u / u / u / be low de light a muse u / | u / | u / | u / | u / A jug | of wine, | a loaf | of bread and thou. Trochee The trochaic foot consists of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable. / u / u / u ne ver, ga ther hap py / u | / u | / u | / u Dou ble | dou ble, | toil and | trou ble, Anapest The anapestic foot consists of three syllable with the stress on the last syllable. u u / | u u / | u u / | u u / With the sheep | in the fold | and the cows | in their stalls. Dactyl The dactylic foot contains three syllables with the stress on the first syllable. / u u / u u / u u Hap pi ness mer ri ly mur mur ing Spondee The spondaic foot consists of two stressed syllables. Compound words are examples of spondees. Spondees are used for variation. Bookstore…….businessman Pyrrhic The pyrrhic foot consists of two unstressed syllables. This type of foot is rare and is found interspersed with other feet. The basic kinds of metrical lines are: Monometer one foot line Dimeter two foot line Trimeter three foot line Tetrameter four foot line Pentameter five foot line Hexameter six foot line Heptameter seven foot line  Octometer eight foot line In brief talk about Connotation and Denotation They are two principal methods of describing the meanings of words. Denotation is the precise, literal definition of a word that might be found in a dictionary Connotation is created when you mean something else, something that might be hidden or implied. WhyWe often must understand the denotation of a word, or its literal meaning, in order to understand the connotation.? 1. Home-literally means the physical place where you live, but is often used to refer to the idea of family and belonging 2. Rock-literally means a stone, but can also be used to refer to a person as solid and stable. 3. Mule-literally a mix between a donkey and a horse. Used to refer to a stubborn person. 4. Rose-literally a type of flower. Used as a symbol for love and beauty. Common Connotation Examples : Below are a few connotation examples. Their suggested meanings are shaped by cultural and emotional associations: -―That woman is a dove at heart.‖ – Here, the dove implies peace or gentility. -―There‘s no place like home.‖ – While home may refer to the actual building someone lives in, connotatively, it most often refers to family, comfort, and security. What is Stanza? Stanza is a division of a poem based on thought or form. Stanzas are known by the number of lines they contain. What are the Kinds of stanzas? *- Couplet has two lines aa *-Triple has three lines aaa *- Quatrain has four lines abab, abba, aabb, abac *- Quintet has five lines *- Sestet has six lines *- Septet has seven lines *- Octave has eight lines *- Others are identified as nine, ten or eleven-line stanza. kinds of stanzas Couplet in details : A couplet consists of two rhyming lines having the same meter. Consider the following couplet stanza examples: There was an awful rainbow once in heaven: We know her woof, her texture; she is given‖ Tercet : A tercet comprises three lines following a same rhyming scheme a a a, or have another rhyming pattern ―The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt he falls.‖ Quatrain : Quatrain is a form of stanza popularized by a Persian poet, Omar Khayyam, who called it a Rubai. It has common rhyming schemes a a a a, a a b b, a b a b. The Eagle (By Alfred Lord Tennyson) : ―Come, fill the Cup, and in the fire of Spring Your Winter garment of Repentance fling: The Bird of Time has but a little way To flutter–and the Bird is on the Wing.‖ Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard (By Thomas Gray) ―The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, The lowing herd wind slowly o‘er the lea, The plowman homeward plods his weary way, And leaves the world to darkness and to me.‖ ‖ Quitain : A quintain, also referred to as ―cinquain,‖ is a stanza of five lines, which may be rhymed or unrhymed, ―Listen… With faint dry sound, Like steps of passing ghosts, The leaves, frost-crisp‘d, break from the trees And fall.‖ Sestet : Sestet is a kind of stanza that consists of six lines. It is the second division of Italian or sonnets of Petrarch, following an octave or the first division comprising eight lines. In a sonnet, a sestet marks a change of emotional state of a poet as they tend to be more subjective in the second part of the sonnet. The Better Part (By Mathew Arnold) : ―So answerest thou; but why not rather say: ‗Hath man no second life? – Pitch this one high! Sits there no judge in Heaven, our sin to see? – More strictly, then, the inward judge obey! Was Christ a man like us? Ah! Let us try If we then, too, can be such men as he!'‖ ‖ ‖Septet. : A stanza with seven lines. This is sometimes called a ―rhyme royal.” -Autumn wind blows ball through the net of Vols "we 'gon win, it's in our blood" champs are we to thrive while kicked real good on the ground; glasses did break but our spirit takes no defeat Octave. : A stanza with eight lines The more lines a stanza has the more varieties of rhyme and meter patterns. For example, “ottava rima” is an eight-line stanza with the specific rhyme scheme in which the first six lines have an alternating rhyme pattern and a couplet as the final two lines an example of ottava rima from Lord Byron's comic poem Don Juan: When Bishop Berkeley said 'there was no matter,' (a) And proved it -- 'twas no matter what he said: (b) They say his system 'tis in vain to batter, (a) Too subtle for the airiest human head (b) And yet who can believe it! I would shatter (a) Gladly all matters down to stone or lead, (b) Or adamant, to find the World a spirit, (c) And wear my head, denying that I wear it. (c) Groups of stanzas in fixed verse forms: Sonnet: A poem with 14 lines; English sonnets have 3 quatrains with the rhyme scheme ABAB and a closed couplet at the end, while Italian sonnets (also known as Petrarchan sonnets) are made up of an octave and a sestet. Villanelle: A poem with 19 lines, consisting of 5 tercets and a final quatrain. Lines are repeated throughout the poem in a fixed pattern. ‖ Sestina: A sestina is a 39-line poem made of six sestets and one tercet. Instead of relying on rhyme and meter for organization, a sestina repeats the last words of the first six lines (or teleutons) in different patterns. Here are the first two stanzas of 'Sestina' by Elizabeth Bishop: September rain falls on the house. In the failing light, the old grandmother sits in the kitchen with the child beside the Little Marvel Stove, reading the jokes from the almanac, laughing and talking to hide her tears. She thinks that her equinoctial tears and the rain that beats on the roof of the house were both foretold by the almanac, but only known to a grandmother. The iron kettle sings on the stove. She cuts some bread and says to the child... As you can see, the teleutons are the words 'house,' 'grandmother,' 'child,' 'stove,' 'almanac,' and 'tears.' The challenge (and the fun) of writing a sestina is finding a way to arrive at these words again and again without becoming repetitive. Ways to Play with Rhythm: 1. Use Caesurae: a caesura is a visible break or pause in a line of poetry (shown either by punctuation or empty space) that signifies a pause while reading the line. These breaks change the rhythm of the lines. Caesuras were popular in old and middle English writing, when poetry was spoken aloud. the guardian of the hoard. Under grey stone...” (From Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf, lines 884-886) 2. Use Enjambment: enjambment occurs in poetry when a phrase in one line continues into the next. This means that there is no punctuation cutting up the idea of the phrase, and no signal for the reader to pause. The phrase is read as if it were one long line of poetry, but it is written as two (or more) lines. Here is an example: “When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient etherized upon a table;” (From T. S. Eliot's “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” lines 2-3)  The English Renaissance The English Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement in England dating from the late 15th century to the early 17th century. Renaissance began in Italy in the late 14th century. Renaissance style and ideas, however, were slow to penetrate England, and the Elizabethan era in the second half of the 16th century is usually regarded as the height of the English Renaissance. What is the dominant art form of the English Renaissance? The dominant art forms of the English Renaissance were literature and music. What is the vigorous literary culture that appeared in the Elizabethan age? By the time of Elizabethan literature, a vigorous literary culture in both drama and poetry Who are the poets of this era? poets such as Edmund Spenser, whose verse epic The Faerie Queene had a strong influence on English literature but was eventually overshadowed (exceed in importance) by the lyrics of William Shakespeare, Thomas Wyatt and others Characteristics of English Renaissance Literature Reforms in the Institutions: In the earlier times, literature was dominated by the spirit of religion and blind faith. However, in the Renaissance Age, institutions were questioned and re-evaluated. Renaissance broadened and took the human mind to new heights. Dominance of Reason: In the Renaissance age, it was the reason instead of the religion that governed human behavior. Man-Centered Society: In the Renaissance age, the focus shifted from religion to man and man became the centre of interest. 4.Development of Science: The age was accompanied by the birth of modern science, mathematics, and astronomy. The era of Renowned Names: The literature of the English Renaissance contains some of the greatest names in all world literature. The Renaissance had an impact on literature: Renaissance literature started with a renewed interest in the classical Greek and Roman learning. ** The invention of the printing press and the weakening of the Catholic Church's influence on the daily lives of the people, among other things, enabled Renaissance writers to express their beliefs in new ways What are the poetics styles of this era? poetic styles: Sonnet, lyric and epic represent one tradition of verse within the period, Who are the Major Poets of this era? Edmund Spenser Sir Philip Sidney William Shakespeare Major Works Edmund Spenser : The Faerie Queene The Shepherds Calender Shepheardes Calender, series of poems by Edmund Spenser, published in 1579 and considered to mark the beginning of the English Renaissance in literature. Sir Philip Sidney He was also known for his literary criticism, known as The Defense of Poesy. Philip Sidney was the representative scholar, writer and gentleman of Renaissance England Other works Sidney penned several major works of the Elizabethan era, including Astrophel and Stella, the first Elizabethan sonnet cycle Arcadia, a heroic prose romance. William Shakespeare (1564-1616). English poet and playwright – Shakespeare is widely considered to be the greatest writer in the English language. He wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets. Shakespeare’s poems consider themes of love, beauty, death, decay and the inevitable passing of time. When was the Elizabethan age? It was the age of Queen Elizabethan 1st (1558-1603), the second half of 16th century Describe the how was the English Literature in the Elizabethan age? *- The age of Shakespeare or the Elizabethan Age witnessed the rise and growth of the feelings of patriotism and nationalism among the English people and brought about an unparalleled progress in almost all the branches of its varied life. **- The age is considered as ―The Golden Age in the history of English literature. ***-It was an age in which the mind of the people was set free from the religious persecution, from fear of poverty and starvation and from the fear of foreign invasion. ****-It was an age/era of social, political and religious peace. *****- Men were now free to devote themselves to art and literature. ******- It was also an era of great adventures, travel and discovery which fired the imagination of the people and encouraged them to creative activity. It is therefore called a ―Golden Age of English Literature. How long did it last? The Elizabethan Age extends from 1558-1603. It can be divided into two periods. The first period may be called “Age of Spenser” (1558-1579) and the second may be called ―Age of Shakespeare (1579-1603). In the first part we have the time of preparation of the spring tide of Elizabethan literature, the second is the time of full blossom and fruition. Who are the posts of this era? Poets of Elizabethan Poetry: The poets who contributed much to the growth of Elizabethan Poetry were SIR THOMAS WYATT and EARL OF SURREY who revives interest in poetry by writing sonnets and lyrics. They introduced Sonnet in England for the first time. They paved the way for the full flowering of poetry in the hands of SYDNEY, SPENSER and SHAKESPEARE. Sir Philip Sidney (1554–1586): Sir Philip Sidney was born in1554, Kent, England. Sidney attended Oxford University’s Christ Church College, but he left to travel Europe before completing his studies. Sidney returned to England and was appointed cupbearer to Queen Elizabeth, a prestigious position, then he was sent to Germany as an ambassador, and when he returned to England soon after, he became a patron of the arts. Sidney attended the court of Elizabeth I, and he was considered "the flower of chivalry." He also continued his involvement in politics, opposing the queen’s planned marriage to the French heir and serving as a Member of Parliament. His major works Sidney penned several major works of the Elizabethan era, including Astrophel and Stella, ("Star lover and Star"). Astrophil and Stella, which includes 108 sonnets and 11 songs, is the first in the long line of Elizabethan sonnet cycles. Most of the sonnets are influenced by Petrarchan conventions—the hopeless lover laments the coldness of his beloved lady towards him, even though he is so true of love and her neglect causes him so much anguish. He also wrote Arcadia, a heroic prose romance. He was also known for his literary criticism, known as The Defense of Poesy. Although he shared his writing with his close friends, he did not allow his work to be published during his lifetime. Sidney was appointed governor of the Dutch town. He fought in a battle against the Spanish and died of his wounds several days later Allegory : A narrative or description having a second meaning beneath the surface one. Allusion: A reference, explicit or implicit, to something in previous literature or history. Apostrophe: A figure of speech in which some one absent or dead or something nonhuman is addressed as if it were alive and present and could reply. Connotation : What a word suggests beyond its basic definition. Denotation: The basic definition or dictionary meaning of a word. Didactic poetry: its primary purpose to teach or preach.  English Poetry of the Seventeenth Century (The Metaphysical Poetry) A group of the poets emerged in the beginning of the 17th Century, What was it famous for ? who wrote in a witty and complicated style. Poets in the Metaphysical Poetry John Donne was the most famous Metaphysical Poet. Other members of this group were ‘George Herbert’, , ‘Henry Vaughan’, ‘Andrew Marvell’, and ‘Richard Crashaw’. John Milton in his ‘Comus’ also fell into this group. As compared to Metaphysical poets, ‘The Cavalier poets’ that include ‘Ben Jonson’, ‘Richard Lovelace’, ‘Robert Herrick’ ‘Thomas Carew’ How did they write ? wrote in a lighter, elegant and artificial style. When /How the Metaphysical poets, began? When the songs and sonnets of the great Elizabethan age passed away slowly, the lyrical power began to lose its force. A group of poets, known as the Metaphysical poets, began to write poems What is the difference between them and the Elizabethan age? Their poems were less beautiful and less musical, but contained tricks of style and strange images. These poets tried to say what they hoped had never been said before. They searched all fields of knowledge, science, as well as, nature, for comparisons. This made their images difficult to understand. Who started The metaphysical style? The metaphysical style was started by John Donne, early in the 17th Century. Who is John Donne ? -He was a lawyer and a priest, and he also wrote religious poetry. -He wrote many good things but no perfect poetry. -His songs and sonnets are his finest works. -He had made good use of direct speech to give a colloquial touch to his poems. -He also used dramatic realism in his poetry. -He said effective things in a few words. Donne’s influence was seen in the religious poets that followed him. JOHN DONNE (1572-1631): 1-John Donne is regarded as the leading metaphysical poet in the history of English literature. Like other poets of his age, he was totally different from them in his attitude, mannerism and treatment of subjects in his poetry. What is his style? 2-A) John Donne’s poetry is a mix of contradictions. 3-b) His style can often be plain, yet his imagery is frequently complex, his use of extended metaphors requiring some careful observation. 4-He is considered the most famous representative of the metaphysical poets. 5-c) His works are noted for their strong style and include sonnets, love poems, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires and sermons. 6- d) His poetry is noted for its inventiveness of metaphor. 7- e)His early career was marked by poetry that bore immense knowledge of English society and he met that knowledge with sharp criticism. 8- f) Another important theme in Donne's poetry is the idea of true religion. 9-He is particularly famous for his mastery of metaphysical conceits. What are the Common subjects of Donne's poems? 10- Common subjects of Donne's poems are -love (especially in his early life), -death (especially after his wife's death), religion. Some notes about other famous metaphysicals? the most famous Metaphysicals are Andrew Marvell and George Herbert. They weren’t a formal group at all, and the term didn’t exist until the famous literary critic Samuel Johnson coined it in the 18th century. arguments about such "metaphysical" concerns. They are known especially for the use of wit, which involves a lot of wordplay Who is George Herbert? One of them was George Herbert. He wrote poetry that was simpler than Donne’s because his experience was narrower. -Henry Vaughan considered both Donne and Herbert as his masters. He was more lyrical and gave sensitive descriptions of nature. Who coined the term Metaphysical Poetry? -The term “Metaphysical Poetry” was first coined by Samuel Johnson, Who is Samuel Johnson? -The term “Metaphysical Poetry” was first coined by Samuel Johnson, The famous poet and the critic.  The Metaphysical Poetry Definition as he mentioned a small group of highly educated English poets of the 17th century and called it the “Metaphysical Poets”. He further explained that how they shared the intensive use of unusual conceits and paradoxes to describe the unexplainable (obscure) emotions and events. What is Metaphysical Poetry? -It is the type of poetry, which has scope beyond the physical world and deals with the notion of existence. -It is a vast topic to discuss, but to put in a nutshell, the type of poetry, which is about the correlation between the physical realm and spiritual realm, soul and being, real and conceptual. "Metaphysics" is the study of the ultimate reality beyond our everyday world, including questions about God, creation, and the afterlife. These poets are known for using symbols and images from the "physical" world to spin complicated Characteristics of Metaphysical Poetry Obscurity: The Metaphysical Poetry is highly ambiguous and seems obscure due to the high intellect of the poets. Therefore, it becomes really difficult for the reader to get the roots of the topic in the very first understanding. Conciseness: The poems are very short, succinct and brief. Each line has its complete meaning in fewer words. The poets have lots of maxims and the sayings to describe the function of the lines. Unified Sensibility: It is the term used for the fusion of reasoning and the emotions together. The Unification of the Sensibility is the major and imperative aspect of the Metaphysical Poetry. These poets didn’t try to separate the feelings and emotions; instead, they fused them together smartly. As we stated before, this poetry is the mixture of physical and spiritual, abstract and concrete, passionate feelings and logical arguments. Carelessness in Diction: Colloquialism is also another important feature of the Metaphysical Poetry. The poets reacted against the conventional expressions of harmony and sweetness of the Elizabethan Poetry. They used kind of like informal, colloquial, and unpoetic words. Originality: The Metaphysical Poets are called the most original poets of the English Literature History. They were the rebels, who presented the unseen, unheard ideas that made them distinct from others. This poetry surprises its readers and makes them thinknabout the questions never asked before. Wit: Wit, another vital feature of Metaphysical Poetry It is the expression of the ideas, while aptly using the figures of speech, in such a way that can bring pleasure and joy to the reader. Although the poets were talking about the very serious questions, they made sure to add the element of humor as well. Johan Donne, the leader and founder of Metaphysical Poetry, was named the “Monarch of Wit” due to his logical, argumentative and informal language. Conceit: The Conceits are the unique property of Metaphysical Poetry. They can be defined as the extended metaphor between the two apparently dissimilar objects that don’t have many things in common. Death, be not proud (Holy Sonnet 10) (1572-1631) Talk in brief about John’s Death ,be not proud ? Death, be not proud (Holy Sonnet 10) (1572-1631) It’s one of John Donne’s Holy Sonnets- also known as Divine Sonnets. They are a series of 19 poems. They weren’t published until 1633, two years after Donne’s death. As the title suggests, they are about religion, but, not exclusively, some of them are also about mortality. Donne was a preacher, and he wrote many exciting sermons in his lifetime. However, he is best known for his poems, among which the Holy Sonnets stand out. They are deep, intense, personal, complicated, and playful. Death, be not proud (Holy Sonnet 10): Text of the Poem Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou are 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. Death, be not proud (Holy Sonnet 10) Summary: The speaker starts talking directly to Death, whom he treats as a person. He tells Death not to be so proud, because he’s really not as scary or powerful as most people think. The speaker starts talking in contradictions, saying that people don’t really die when they meet Death – and neither will the speaker. Then, he compares him to "rest and sleep," two things that aren’t scary at all. Moreover, the speaker calls Death a "slave" to all kinds of other means that human beings might use to call upon death, such as "poison, war, and sickness." Besides, we don’t need Death – the speaker can just take drugs, and it will have the same effect: falling asleep. So death is just a "short sleep," after which, they will wake eternally in order to join God for eternity. Once this happens, it will seem like Death has died, rather than the humans he attempts to kill Lines 1-2 Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so; Here Death is depicted as a "proud," arrogant” person.  Everybody treats him like a king. They think that he has the power ("might") to do terrible ("dreadful") things. Here, we’re going to refer to Death as "he" because Donne talks to death as if it is a person. Also, when poets address a person or thing that isn’t there or can’t respond, it’s called an "apostrophe." This is one of the most famous examples of apostrophe in all of literature.) But, the speaker isn’t afraid. The speaker orders Death not to be proud, and then says that people are mistaken in treating Death as frightening being. Lines 3-4 For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. Death thinks that he has the power to kill people, but he actually doesn’t. To make things more humiliating, the speaker starts to show his pity by addressing "poor Death," It seems totally ridiculous to say that Death doesn’t kill people or has the ability to kill the speaker. Lines 5-6 From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, He compares death to "rest" and "sleep," two things that give us "pleasure." Therefore, death should give us pleasure, too, when we finally meet it. He claims that rest and sleep are only "pictures" of death. The difference between these two things and death is like the difference between a painting of an object and the real thing. If they give us some pleasure, then death will give "much more." The pleasure of death will "flow’ like water. The comparison of death to sleep or eternal rest is a classic metaphor. It is a way for people to talk themselves out of their fear of dying – compare it to an experience that they enjoy Lines 7-8 And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery. only the good die young. The "best men […] soonest" follow Death into the afterlife, thinking that he will give the "rest of their bones," and free or "deliver" of their souls. They are the hardest-working and bravest people in society, so they enjoy eternal rest before everyone else. The best men among us soon achieve death, getting their physical body to rest and the soul liberated. Lines 9-10 Thou'art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell, The speaker becomes more hostile towards Death, calling him names as a slave. With the metaphor of the slave, the speaker suggests that Death doesn’t act on his own free will, and instead is controlled or manipulated by other things like "fate, chance, kings, and desperate men." Like Death, Fate is often treated as a person in literature.  Fate is thought to control everything that happens to people, including when they will die. So, Death doesn’t decide when people will die; he just carries out orders from Fate. "Chance" is kind of the opposite of fate. "Chance" is luck, the idea that things can happen for no particular reason. "Kings" are different from fate and chance because they are real people, but they have a similar kind of control over when and how people die. A king can send soldiers to die in battle or sentence people to execution. "Desperate men," we think, refers to people who commit suicide or do stupid and reckless stuff, which might as well be suicide. In line 10, the speaker brings another accusation against Death, claiming that he stays with or "dwells," with those notorious thugs or criminals, "poison, war, and sickness." In other words, Death’s friends are total losers. Donne treats these three things like people. What do poison, war, and sickness have in common? They all kill lots andlots of people. Moreover, they are all generally considered bad or painful ways to die. Lines 11-12 And poppy'or charms can make us sleep as wellAnd better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then? Here, the speaker asks "Who needs Death anyway? If I want to sleep really well, I can just use drugs and magic charms!" The "poppy" is a flower used to make opium, an old-fashioned drug that makes people really happy. In fact, drugs and magic charms work even "better" than Death at bringing on sleep. "stroke" means blow or shock. The speaker puts Death in his place, telling him not to "swell" with pride. Death has no reason to be proud, he is not particularly special. This rhetorical question culminates the poem’s entire argument up to this point. Lines 13-14 One short sleep past, we wake eternally,And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die. Donne, and the Metaphysical Poets in general, are masters of the surprise ending, and this one is no exception. First, he returns to the idea of death as "sleep,": it’s a "short sleep." According to the religious belief, it is thought that, when people died, it islike they are asleep until the end of the world or Judgment Day. At this point, God wakes everyone up to lead them to Heaven, where theywill spend eternity. Therefore, when the world ends, there isn’t any more death. The poem’s final words assure: "Death, thou shalt die." Clearly, the final "die" just means that he won’t exist anymore. Death Lines 1-2: This has got to be one of the most famous examples of personification and apostrophe in all of poetry. The speaker treats death like a person who is considered "mighty" and "dreadful," which is personification. And, he addresses this person-like Death directly, even though Death obviously can’t respond, which is apostrophe. Lines 3-4: Donne uses apostrophe again to address, "poor Death," which is an embarrassing to talk to someone who considers himself a tough person. Lines 5-6: In this metaphor, he calls rest and sleep "pictures" of Death. So "pictures" are like a drawing or a painting. Lines 7-8: Continuing the personification of Death, the speaker says that good people allow death to lead them out of their earthly lives. The bones of the "best men" are a synecdoche, because they actually stand for the whole physical body. Line 8, then, draws a standard religious contrast between body and soul. Line 12: We often talk about people who "swell" with pride, and that’s what’s going on here, when the speaker asks, "Why swell’st thou then?" This is a rhetorical question, designed to make Death realize that he has no reason to be proud. Line 14: He uses the personified idea of Death who ceases to be there which the last word "die" refers to. Rest and Sleep Donne didn’t invent the comparison between death and sleep, but it was an old one. Line 5: This metaphor compares "rest" and "sleep" to "pictures," like a painting or drawing. The point is that the rest and sleep are pale imitations, and Death is the real thing. On the other hand, Death is only a much stronger version of sleep, and not something scary and different. Line 11: The comparison between Death and sleep becomes an extended metaphor at this point. The speaker says that, if he only wants a really good sleep, he doesn’t even need Death; he can use "poppies" (opium, a kind of drug) or "charms" (magic or potions). Line 13: The extended metaphor continues. He calls the time between the speaker’s death and the Day of Judgment a "short sleep." When the speaker "wakes up," he will find himself in Heaven. Death's Friends and Masters Death stays with a bad crowd. Unfortunately, they aren’t good at all. They’re big losers, in fact, and Death knows it – which is why it’s such an insult when the speaker points out Death’s connection to poison, war, and sickness. Line 9: This metaphor calls Death a "slave" to "fate, chance, kings, and desperate men." Implicitly, all these things are personified as Death’s master. Line 10: Although it’s not as obvious as in other parts of the poem, we think "poison, war, and sickness" are personified as thugs, worthless individuals. Meter The Petrarchan sonnet has fourteen lines and a rhyme scheme that goes ABBAABBA and then, most frequently, CDCDCD. But, "Death, be not proud" finishes slightly differently. Its last six lines are CDDCAA. Another feature of a Petrarchan sonnet is a shift, or "turn," in the argument or subject matter somewhere in the poem. In Italian, the word is volta. Usually, the turn occurs at line 9 to match with the introduction of a new rhyme scheme. That’s the case for "Death, be not proud," although the turn isn’t major. The speaker sharpens his attack and starts calling Death names, but he doesn’t fundamentally change his argument. Setting We don’t call Donne a Metaphysical Poet for nothing. "Metaphysics" is the study of the reality beyond the physical, everyday world, and "Death, be not proud" is a good example. There are hardly any images of the "physical" world which we’re so used to seeing in poetry. It uses philosophical arguments, rather than descriptions of nature. Here’s what we know: in the fictional world of the poem, the speaker gets to address, or talk to, something that most people never get to talk to: Death.