A Comparative Analysis of Donne's 'Death Be Not Proud' and Shelley's 'Ozymandias'

The Finality of Death

Death is viewed as the finality of all living things. It is a mysterious subject that elicits sorrow and sadness whenever mentioned. Death takes away the high and mighty, the most educated men on the land, children, and the aged with no discrimination. The thought of death as finality is quite frightening. Many authors portray death as a dark experience, especially for those left behind. Is there life beyond the physical death and termination of life? The great poets Donne and Shelley seem to think that there is something beyond physical life. The two poems are in the form of a sonnet containing fourteen lines. They adhere to the basic rhyming scheme found in octets and sestet of Italian Sonnets. However, they differ in the way they present their views. Donne asserts that death is not as powerful as people portray it to be. Shelley holds the view that death takes away even influential political figures, but their legacy can be preserved through art.

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Thesis: Every person bears the fear and uncertainties of life at death which can never entirely be answered. People can only understand that death is the finality of physical life because it is impossible to unravel what happens in the afterlife.

Death Be Not Proud

Donne’s poem fits into the religious belief that there is life after death. Pious people hold a belief that once they die, they will live in a world with no pain. In burial ceremonies, people are reminded that their loved one is resting in a better place. Death is not the end, and the actions they committed in their physical life will bear consequences as they transit to eternal life. The author follows an unconventional path to display death as a powerless figure. Death liberates the soul from pain and suffering. It provides the same feeling of relaxation as drugs such as poppy and charms. It is asleep that leads us to eternity. He makes no mention of the loss experienced by those who are left behind. He treats each person as a personal entity who is responsible for his soul. Death should, therefore, not feel mighty or proud because it does not own the destiny of men but rather liberates their souls.

To convey his message and amplify the theme, the author uses several stylistic devices. The poem employs personification. Death is given the human quality of being proud. Death is referenced with a capital letter 'D' in the same way we reference human names. The irony is another stylistic device employed in the poem. The irony is used to state the opposite of the often expected in a humorous way. When the author says “Death, thou shalt die” (Donne 1), it sounds quite ironic, and most people would laugh it off. Death can indeed not become a victim of itself. The author also compares death to pleasure. This is ironical because death is seen as a monster, and there is no way it would bring reprieve to the body.

Ozymandias

Ozymandias is a Greek term used to refer to someone of enormous size. It was the name of an Egyptian Pharaoh. The poem talks about a traveller who describes a ruined statue. The author describes that life is fragile and brings down even the greatest kings. Therefore, no matter how rich or famous one is death is finality for all. The statue that once stood tall now lies in ruins. He also aims to show that art can help magnify one's life, even when they are dead. Even one is no longer alive; their story can be told through artistic pieces. For example, in many cities, the streets are beautified by statues of great people who made significant contributions to society. The poem paints a dark picture of death.

The author uses various stylistic devices to magnify his theme. Personification and imagery stand out throughout the poem. The inanimate statue has been given human attributes such as a frown and a wrinkle. In the fifth line, the author refers to the statue as though it were a real person, “And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command” (Donne 1). Imagery involves arousing the reader’s senses. The poet has used various statements to indulge the reader’s sense of sight. For example, he refers to the statue as trunk-less, shattered, and wrinkled to show its devastating state. It appeals to the reader, and they can visualize the status of the statue in their mind.

Conclusion

While Donne displays death as powerless, Shelley, on the other hand, presents death as a monster that holds power over all humanity. Shelley affirms that death is the end for each person and in the end; even the things that keep legacy alive will also fall into chaos. We will not have the power to make anything significant again and the power we once wielded ends at death. The "king of kings", who commanded cities and large territories is long gone, and the only thing that remains of him is a dilapidated statue. Rather than living a careless life, we should have in mind that one day we will cease breathing. Donne walks through the less travelled road and displays death as a gateway to greatness. Throughout the whole poem, he affirms that death shall have no dominion over humanity. People should, therefore live happily and not worry about the day they will cease to exist. In reality, death remains to be a mystery. It is impossible to know what happens after physical death. Instead of worrying people should live in harmony within themselves and make a positive impact every day of their life.

Works Cited

Donne, John. "Holy Sonnets: Death, be not proud." The Poetry Foundation (2000). https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44107/holy-sonnets-death-be-not-proud

Shelley, Percy Bysshe. “Ozymandias “The Poetry Foundation (1977). https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44107/holy-sonnets-death-be-not-proud

Parr, Johnstone. "Shelley's" Ozymandias"." Keats-Shelley Journal 6 (1957): 31-35.