"From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, |
This is one of the key features of this poem. In order to understanding the poetic genius behind Donne and why this poem is considered a classic is behind the structure. Each line throughout the entirety of the poem carries each thought into the next line of the poem. In other words, there is no punctuation at the end of the line.
The beauty of such a stylistic choice is that Donne is not only using his poetry to defeat Death; he ALSO uses the structure of the poem. As most would presume that the end of a line signifies the end of a thought; Donne breaks the cycle of what is typically deemed "the end." Just as death is not the end of one's life, but rather the beginning of the Afterlife. in the In the example to the left, this line compares Death to sleep; something both pleasurable and desirable. The reasoning behind these heavily enjambed statements, which is not carefully looked at, can be missed. |
Death, in this poem is spoken to, or addressed. Although Death is an inanimate object, Donne acknowledges the power it holds over humans. He does this by personifying death. Do not be fooled, however. While death may be elevated in status, it is a strategic device used by Donne to strengthen his argument. By comparing death to a human, the poem becomes a slap-down. MANO A MANO! Donne v. Death. Donne ultimately comes out victorious in his fight against Death.
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"Death, be not proud, though some have called thee" |
"One short sleep past, we wake eternally" |
SibilanceSibilance is the acoustical aspect of a poem. In this context, Donne strings consonant "s" sounds together in order to prosper the idea of whispering. How cute! Donne is whispering to us as we sleep! Kinda creepy... Why did he choose to do this? Simple. He is discussing sleep and comparing sleep to death. Ever heard of a lullaby?
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