Sonnet 10
Holy Sonnet 10 [c.1601-1610]
John Donne (1571-1631)
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.
Questions for Discussion
1. Which of the following best summarizes the speaker's message to death?
A) "I fear that you will vanquish me."
B) "You are a monstrous devil."
C) "Nothing can ever stop you."
D) "You have no real power over me."
E) "You have every reason to be arrogant."
2. The word closest to the meaning of "but" in line 5 is
A) only.
B) not.
C) also.
D) consequently.
E) thus.
3. "Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell..." (lines 9 and 10)
In these lines, the speaker portrays Death as
A) unyieldingly strong.
B) peaceful and attractive.
C) weak and unappealing.
D) exaggerated and laughable.
E) threatening but unbelievable.
4. To "wake eternally" (line 13) means to
A) survive illness.
B) enter Heaven.
C) embrace Death.
D) understand life.
E) regain one's faith.
5. In line 6, the speaker personifies Death as
A) an evil leader who chases people.
B) a teacher who instructs learned men.
C) a guide who takes people away.
D) a sea captain.
E) a kind and gentle savior.
6. Who would me most likely to appreciate the main idea of this poen?
A) a doctor
B) a pastor or rabbi
C) New parents
D) A woman about to be married
E) A person close to death