John Donne's "Sonnet 10"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Donne's "Sonnet 10" argues that Death is simply living a masquerade; therefore, we do not have to accept the fact that Death is the end of everything. The author points out that the poem follows the Italian sonnet form with a standard "abbaabba" rhyme scheme consisting of fourteen lines and ends with a dramatic couplet, which is generally associated with Elizabethan sonnets. The paper relates that Donne's point is that Death itself is really asleep; in the end, we will wake from our sleep with Death, which leads us to eternal life.

From the Paper:

"Donne begins by addressing Death with a serious, yet cynical attitude. His tone is straightforward and he appears to be very confident when he tells death that it has nothing to be proud of, although "many have called thee/Mighty and dreadful" (1-2). Donne tells Death that this fact is simply "not so" (2). Again, we get a sense for Donne's tone with this line he is meeting Death face to face without fear or intimidation. Donne then introduces us to an interesting paradox when he says, "For those whom thou thinkest thou dost overthrow,/Die not" (3-4). This is important because it sets the mood for the entire poem. Donne is speaking to Death without absolutely any reservation. He points out that even those who do die, have not been actually overthrown by Death. In essence, Donne has absolutely no respect for Death."

More papers on John Donne's "Sonnet 10":

• Analytical Essay # 46329 : "John Donne's "Holy Sonnets" - Numbers Ten and Fourteen"
• Essay # 137486 : "John Donne and Virginia Woolf"
• Analytical Essay # 123476 : "John Donne and His Work"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: