Death Presented in Metaphysical Poetry
Death is presented in metaphysical poetry in a number of different
ways. However, from the glorified object of desire in Henry Vaughan’s
‘They are all gone into the world of light’ to the way in which John
Donne mocks the personified death in ‘Death be not proud’, there are
also a lot of common points which are made.
The historical context of the pieces is clearly an influential factor.
With all the changes happening during the 16th and 17th centuries (the
time in which most metaphysical poetry was being written) the only
thing one could be certain of in life was death. Subsequently this was
a subject on which many metaphysical poets wrote.
John Donne’s sonnet ‘Death be not proud’ is very forceful and written
with a triumphant and (at times) mocking tone. Throughout the poem he
reinforces his view that death is not something to fear. It is,
however, the gateway to eternal life, a belief which reflects that of
Plato.
Donne takes the common view that death is a terrible thing, and
negates it, undermining the personified ‘Death’s’ power over people:
‘some have called thee / Mighty and dreadfull … thou art not soe’. He
then proceeds to give more reason to not fear death, as ‘From rest and
sleepe’ we receive ‘Much pleasure’, and considering sleep is a mere
imitation of death what great joy could we obtain from death itself?
Donne further belittles ‘Death’ by saying that ‘Death’ does not kill
people: rather it is ‘slave to Fate, chance, kings, and desperate
men’.
In contrast, Henry Vaughan’s poem ‘They are all gone into the world of
light’ shows his almost desperation to die and enter the glorious
beyond.
‘O Father of eternal life, and all
Created glorie...
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...es with rough strife
Throughout the Iron gates of Life.’
These images are disturbing, and not what you would expect considering
he is trying to persuade his mistress into bed.
The closing two lines of the poem summarise the argument:
‘Thus, though we cannot make our Sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run.’
Although they cannot control the inevitable advancement of time, they
can (and should) make the most of their time together.
There are many views on the after life, and its questionable
existence. Whether you- like Vaughan- believe that death is the
beginning of a wonderful existence, or if you prefer to see death as a
tool for revenge (like Donne in ‘The Apparition’) we are all agreed on
one aspect. We all die. However, the mystery still remains, and the
fact is no one knows for certain what will happen to when we leave
this world.
“As I Lay Dying, read as the dramatic confrontation of words and actions, presents Faulkner’s allegory of the limits of talent” (Jacobi). William Faulkner uses many different themes that make this novel a great book. Faulkner shows his talent by uses different scenarios, which makes the book not only comedic but informational on the human mind. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner is a great book that illustrates great themes and examples. Faulkner illustrates different character and theme dynamics throughout the entire novel, which makes the book a humorous yet emotional roller coaster. Faulkner illustrates the sense of identity, alienation, and the results of physical and mental death to show what he thinks of the human mind.
Death and Reality in "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates
Even though William Faulkner, Robert Browning, and William Shakespeare came from different backgrounds and were born centuries apart, these three well known men of literature had a great deal in common. Shakespeare was a poet, an actor and a playwright, born in Stratford-Upon-Avon in 1564. Throughout his life he wrote several sonnets and poems and was the creator of many words still used today (“William Shakespeare”). Shakespeare has remained one of the most popular literary men in the world. Browning was born in 1812 in London and wrote many poems and had them published in several volumes. Faulkner was not a playwright but he was a novelist, a poet, and an author of famous short stories. He grew up in Mississippi where he based all of his works’ locations. “A Rose for Emily”, “Porphyria’s Lover”, and Hamlet are hauntingly beautiful and tragic pieces. All are different but the one thing that connects them is the character’s fascination with death and whether or not it affects them psychologically.
after death is what is very dissimilar. In the poem when she says "We passed
The play, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, written by William Shakespeare in the early 1600s, uses deaths to emphasize the idea of mortality throughout the play. The deaths that occur so frequently in the play are used to atone for wrongs done by the characters earlier in the play. Two major deaths that occur are the deaths of King Claudius and Ophelia. All of these characters did a wrong to one or more persons and in the end of the play they all paid for their wrongs by being murdered or committing suicide.
“But it is not the fear, observe, but the contemplation of death; not the instinctive shudder and struggle of self-preservation, but the deliberate measurement of the doom, which are great or sublime in feeling” (John Ruskin). Human beings never stop making efforts to explaining, understanding and exploring the meaning of the death, and death became an important topic in human’s literature. According to the scientific definition “death is the state of a thermodynamic bio-system in which that thermodynamic system cannot obtain non-spontaneously energy from the environment and organize non-spontaneously the energy obtained from the environment” (Nasif Nahle). Which means that all human beings fundamental biological systems are stop working after
Death is a reality that can be interpreted in many ways. Some people fear the possibility of no longer living and others welcome the opportunity for a new life in the afterlife. Many poets have been inspired by death, be it by the approaching death of loved ones or a battle for immortality. Just as each poet is inspired differently, each poem casts a different hue of light on the topic of death giving readers a unique way to look at death.
From mapping it is clear that the night represents death by meeting night, the narrator is saying that he encounters death. Thus, the idea of death is reinforced by the conceptual metaphor A LIFETIME IS A DAY and activates the general metaphor DEATH IS A JOURNEY TO A FINAL DESTINATION.
In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, she speaks much about tradition in a small town in which many have been lost over the years. The black box, which Shirley speaks about in the beginning of the story, is of great importance. The black box represents the entrapment of tradition and the change over time. It is the trapping of tradition because now that it is worn and ragged they still do not want to change it because it is tradition. Along with the box changing many people’s views on The Lottery, it also lets the town’s people stand strong by themselves. Shirley Jackson in “The Lottery” uses symbolism and irony to foreshadow death.
Poems reveal many inside thoughts of the speaker that can be interpreted by the reader. Death is expressed quite often in poetic work because of the simplicity to be able to express feelings. Suicide, for an example, is a form of death that may be used in poetry and is usually portrayed in a negative fashion. Surprisingly, some poems that involve death have a positive outcome. There are views found in poetry relating to suicide as a form of death that are both positive and negative. Suicide as a negative perspective is a common form of death displayed in poetry. A very good example of death brought upon by suicide is “Richard Cory” by Edwin Arlington Robinson. In the passage, “And he was rich-yes, richer than a king,” Robinson describes the wealth and riches in which he lived. Richard seemed to be a person without problems. Later at the end of the poem in line fifteen the speaker says, “And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, went home and put a bullet through his head.” In one’s opinion, it may appear that money, wealth, and power is not everything. Perhaps Richard Cory was miserable because of the way people gazed at him which describes his suicide. Theoretically, the reader has to try to interpret the poem because of the lack of evidence explaining the reason of Cory’s suicide. This poem is an example of death in a negative perspective. Another poem that explains suicide as a form of death, but in a somewhat positive fashion, is “Résumé” by Dorothy Parker.
In a time where science and materialism reign, the topic of the soul is rarely mentioned, ostensibly left in the past with the philosophers of old. Nichols, however, candidly broaches this difficult topic and gives new life to the argument that humans do indeed have an immaterial, immortal soul. Nichols summarizes several popular arguments for the existence of the soul as he builds his own argument, which discusses a soul as limited in relation to its environment as well as a soul that is one with the mind and a controller of the body. He discusses both the strengths and challenges to his argument, offering rebuttals to the challenges. Because this soul is the organizing principle of the body it is involved in the Resurrection as well, bridging the gap between the material and spiritual worlds. However, I disagree with Nichols’ assessment, instead choosing the side of materialism where an immaterial soul does not exist.
Many people find it hard to imagine their death as there are so many questions to be answered-how will it happen, when, where and what comes next. The fact that our last days on Earth is unknown makes the topic of death a popular one for most poets who looks to seek out their own emotions. By them doing that it helps the reader make sense of their own emotions as well. In the two poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickenson and “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas, the poets are both capturing their emotion about death and the way that they accepted it. In Dickenson’s poem her feelings towards death are more passionate whereas in Dylan’s poem the feelings
In the poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”, by Emily Dickinson and “Home Burial”, by Robert Frost, literary elements are used throughout both poems to get the message the authors are trying to portray. One main important literary element that is used to entice the reader, is symbolism, because it helps the authors describe something without actual describing it. Symbolism is also used because it shows how significant an object is. Characterization is also an important literary technique because it, gives the reader an idea on how the character would act, work, and their values in life. Death is a topic that is used in both poems. Also, every character express their opinion about death differently.
Death occurs when living stops. From the event of death, we have created religious and cultural traditions. It has become the core of literature and entertainment. As a society we are somewhat fascinated by it. Healthcare practitioners fight everyday to prevent it from happening. Can this event, which is absolute, change its meaning over time?
Death is a prevalent theme in the poetry of both Sylvia Plath and Emily Dickinson. They both examine death from varied angles. There are many similarities as well as differences in the representation of this theme in their poetry. Plath views death as a sinister and intimidating end, while Dickinson depicts death with the endearment of romantic attraction. In the poetry of Plath death is depicted traditionally, while Dickinson attributes some mysticism to the end of life.