Death, Be Not Proud : Key info
Death, Be Not Proud is a notable literary work by John Donne. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Death, Be Not Proud.
Key info
Title: Death Be Not Proud, also known as Sonnet 10
Poet: John Donne (1572-1631)
Written Date: 1609
Publication Date: First published in his 1633 collection Holy Sonnets; the poem is the 10th sonnet of a total of 19 sonnets of this collection
Form: Petrarchan Sonnet (a 14-line poem with two parts: octave + sestet)
Meter: Iambic pentameter (each line has 10 syllables with a da-DUM rhythm)
Rhyme Scheme: ABBA ABBA (octave), CDDCEE (sestet) — thus, the rhyme scheme is different from a traditional Petrarchan sonnet
Total Lines/Stanza: 14 lines, single stanza
Tone: Bold, challenging, and hopeful — the speaker speaks directly to Death and says it should not be proud or feared.