John Donne and William Shakespeare

Both John Donne and William Shakespeare view death with their opinions and we can see the differences straight from their poem. First of all, in John DonneЎЇs Holy Sonnet 10, he says that death is death and that death will never go away unless everything is dead. Donne, the Poet is pocking at death. Death itself dies when we wake in God's arms, in heaven. "Though some have called thee / Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so" (line1 1-2). This shows how the speaker addresses death as a person and talks to it like heЎЇs not being afraid. Later he tells that Death likes to think of himself as powerful and terrifying, but to the Poet this is not true at all. In "those whom you think'st thou dost overthrow / Die not, poor Death." these lines Donne somehow feel pity for Death, because to the Poet people do die, and yet their memories still do remain. Their presence does not actually disappeared.

In this two line ÐŽo One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And Death shall be no more ; Death, thou shalt die.ÐŽ± Donne talks about awaking eternally and Death will be forever destroyed. Donne believes we will lives in heaven forever in eternal life even after Death takes away our physical form. As a result, Death is powerless and nothing to afraid of. Then, death will cease to exist, and will die.

Unlike Donne, Shakespeare's sonnet 55, he sees death as something that can be conquering and the immortality of his poem. From the poem, we can see the confidence from the poet as he claims to have the power to keep his memory alive even after death. Shakespeare states in line 5 "wasteful war" which implies that nothing can destroy his work. He says "Nor Mars his sword nor war's quick fire shall burn/The living record of your memory." (line 6) He believes all the memories written on this poem is something that death can never take it away from him, because it is no longer in the physical form and survived through war. Shakespeare values things he cares about; that his memories will live on even after physical death and continues to be immortality through the form of this poem. In the final line ÐŽodwell in lover's eyesÐŽ±, he believes death is no more since the immortality of the written word can be read by anyone until the very end of time, just as in line 13 ÐŽotill the judgment that yourself ariseÐŽ± meaning until the final day comes. Unlike Donne, Shakespeare