"Death, be not proud" is a sonnet by the iconic English metaphysical poet John Donne. The fourteen-line poem, which is also referred to as "Holy Sonnet X,"deals with the fear of death, overcoming it, and the prospect of eternal life after death.
Poems aren't necessarily traditionally discussed in terms of "exposition" and "resolution." However, we can examine the opening and closing of the poem instead.
The sonnet opens with the speaker/poet addressing Death by telling it that it should not be proud and claiming that it is neither mighty nor dreadful, contrary to what some people have claimed. The poet/speaker goes on to state that Death is the slave of "Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men," and that it resides with negative entities (such as war and sickness). Thus, Donne derides death and tries to strip it of its power over mankind.
The sonnet closes with the speaker/poet proclaiming that Death is not permanent, as human wake to their eternal afterlife after Death has claimed their mortal one. Thus, Death itself "shalt die," with Donne reaffirming his belief in a more transcendental realm operating as the final destination of human life.
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