Poetry Response #6

Merrell Pressley

Mrs. Jernigan

English Lit AP

1 March 2011

Poetry Response #6

            John Donne’s poem “Death Be Not Proud” is an Italian sonnet, and it is identified as a sonnet with its fourteen lines. In addition to its length, the poem has a rhyme scheme consistent with Italian sonnets: a-b-b-a, a-b-b-a, c-d-d-c, e-e. As well as rhyme scheme, each line follows iambic pentameter with ten syllables or beats in every line. This box-like structure identifies it as a Petrarchan sonnet.

            Donne uses apostrophe throughout his poem, talking to death as if it is a person. This referral to death as a person seems to give death a great deal of power and authority, just as it has over the human life. He writes, “And soonest our best men with thee do go, / Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.” No one can escape death’s claim over their life; everyone must come to terms with the fact that they will eventually die.

            However, as the poem continues, Donne undermines death, saying that it does not have complete dominion, because it is “slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men.” Donne is suggesting that death no longer rampages the population, because now men attribute death to fate; fate now governs the universe. He wants death to “be not proud” anymore. Donne is inspiring courage into his readers; he does not want them to fear death any longer, as is shown throughout the rest of the poem.

            In addition to his dismissal of death as the ruler over life, Donne suggests an idea that had become popular at the time of his writing the poem. He writes, “One short sleep past, we wake eternally / And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.” This refers to the afterlife. Donne presents the idea that maybe death is not the end to life, but a bridge into the after life, where life will be fulfilled. John Donne lived during the late 15^th century and early 16^th century. In those times, men were learning and continuing the Renaissance attitude of questioning previous belief. Donne wrote an influential sonnet, writing, “Death, though shalt die.”

Poetry Response #5 (Skipped #4)

Merrell Pressley

Mrs. Jernigan

English Lit AP

23 February 2011

Poetry Response #5

            In Sonnet XVIII, which is more commonly known as “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day,” William Shakespeare epitomizes the art of “sonneting.” In addition, he tells the depth of a love that can only be explained through a heartfelt fourteen lines; Shakespeare makes every other man appear speechless, in a bad way. With the last two lines of the poem taking a step away and universalizes the theme of the poem.

            Shakespeare compares his love to a beautiful day in summer. However, as he writes, “often is his gold complexion dimmed,” he discusses the too truthful fact that summer quickly fades. Here the metaphor breaks down, and this distinguishes the woman of his desires from the beautiful days of summer. In addition, he calls her an “eternal summer,” establishing that her beauty will never dim, but “when in eternal lines [she grows].” This flowery metaphor is his way of describing that his appreciation for her beauty will only deepen and strengthen with time.

            In the last two lines, which rhyme and are referred to as a couplet, Shakespeare relates this poem to every common man in love. He writes, “So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.” In other words, from love springs life. His metaphor of her as a beautiful summer day, with the sun shining and flowers in full bloom represents not only that his love grows and blooms with time, but that life can only bloom from love. Without love, one must resign to no life at all, for it is not worth living without.

Poetry Response #3

Merrell Pressley

Mrs. Jernigan

English Lit AP

8 February 2011

Poetry Response #3

            The Victorian poet Robert Browning is one of the most famous poets in the genre of the dramatic monologue. His poem, “My Last Duchess,” is the embodiment of a perfect dramatic monologue. The speaker is an older man, looking back over his relationship with his late wife.

            The word “FERRARA” at the beginning of the poem gives the poem context; it was meant to be set during the Renaissance, in Italy. Most critics seem to believe that Browning intended the speaker to be Alfonso II d'Este, the fifth Duke of Ferrara.

            The speaker is talking to an unknown person, probably someone near him the art gallery, where the picture of his “Last Duchess” is hanging. In the poem, the speaker tells about his lover, who has died. She is the subject of the painting that sparks his interest. In the beginning of the poem, he tells of his memories of her, mostly positive and nostalgic ones. However, his attitude towards her shifts as he says, “She had / A heart—how shall I say?— too soon made glad, / Too easily impressed.” Apparently, his duchess was easily impressionable, which probably led to the end of the poem, where it can be inferred that he was not her only lover. This is confirmed when Browning writes, “‘twas not / Her husband’s presence only.” She could not keep herself confined to just her husband, and this is the one despicable quality about his “Last Duchess.”

            Further along in the poem, Browning writes, “Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt, / Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without / Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together.” In other words, he began to notice her flirtations with other men and that caused him to begin to control her life. This caused her to be very unhappy, so her “smiles stopped.” It is odd for the speaker to look at her painting, because she looks as beautiful and alive as ever, despite her disloyalty and death. Therefore, he keeps her hidden, away from public eye. This poem reveals the power than men held over women in the time of the Renaissance; however, because of her unfaithfulness, it is apparent that women are beginning to have more significance and freedom in their own lives. Women are stepping outside of society’s constraints from before the Renaissance.