“Death Be Not Proud” is a classic metaphysical poem composed by John Donne in 17th century England. This poem deals with eschatological themes since the speaker's point of view is primarily religious. Man's biology dictates that he must die. Man, composed only of flesh and blood, ends up disintegrating into dust. Man's physical decomposition underlines his fragility and fallen nature. In the many interpretations of death, Donne highlights his beliefs about life, death and human suffering. Aware of his mortal constitution, Donne always repels death as a being overcome by the brilliant prospects of the afterlife. The Reformation movement left an indelible mark on religious life and the belief system in England until Donne, once a Catholic, converted to Protestantism. In his poem, Donne rejects the hubris of death and hopefully asserts that humans move not only from one physical state to another, but also from one world to another, relying on the teachings of the Reformation on the afterlife as a means of consolation and courage. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The English Reformation began in England since the 14th century with John Wycliffe. However, it was not until three centuries later that the Reformation was consolidated in England. The conflicts between the Catholic kings and the pope and the Protestant movement led by Henry VIII gave rise to much dissension. However, it was not until Queen Elizabeth I (1556-1603) that English Protestantism took root. After his death, she named another Protestant king, King James I (1603-1625), to succeed him. This king is the same monarch who authorized the printing and publication of the famous King James Version of the Bible. Religion plays a prominent role in politics and society in general. As some believed in the divine right to rule which belonged to the monarchy, allegiance to God in some minds is equated with loyalty to the king. In the 17th century, England separated from the papacy, both literally and figuratively, because of Henry VIII's displeasure at being refused a divorce by the pope. As a result, the state religion became English Catholic or Anglican. Different segments of Christians advocate very different beliefs because they see the faults of the Church and therefore urgently recognize the need for reform. Puritans and Quakers are among these nonconformist churches. Certain laws come into force which give these non-conformist sectarian groups the freedom to practice their religion without hindrance, such as the Corporations Act (1661), the Uniformity Act (1662), the Bill of Rights (1689) and the law on tolerance (1689). . As the Reformation continued in England and feelings of discontent with religion increased, more and more people abandoned the dominant state religion in favor of others. This era marks the period when the English Church moved as far away as possible from Catholicism, to the point of sometimes becoming hostile (Mullet 245-55). Donne's poetry cannot be understood independently of his reform theology. The Reformation was founded on three main principles, sola scriptura, sola fide and sola gratia or (respectively by the Word alone, by faith alone and by grace alone) (O'Collins 2004). This movement inspired many radical changes so that adherents turned to a Christocentric belief system. As an Anglican clergyman, Donne incorporated his Reformed beliefs into his poetry, although he did not divorcecompletely from certain Catholic teachings. Donne's theological views on death come primarily from the Reformers since they are rooted in Scripture. Largely distinct from Catholicism, Protestantism is not considered compatible with Catholic dogma. On the one hand, Catholicism embraces superstition and its worship was based on tradition rather than the Bible, particularly with doctrines such as the Eucharist, purgatory, worship of relics, worship of saints, sales of indulgences and Latinized readings . On the other hand, the Reformers sought a closer relationship with God through biblical truth and a revived church that met higher standards. In this religious context, believing in the truth by faith would liberate the believer. Following in the footsteps of the biblical authors, Donne depicts the transience of life, comparing it to a sleep (Psalm 13:3; John 11:13; 1 Corinthians 15). :52-58 and 1 Thessalonians 4:15). Donne depicts death as that of “rest and sleep, which is only the bee of your images.” This metaphor, used by David, Jesus and even the apostle Paul, demonstrates the brevity of life but the hope of life after eternal life. In this figure, death is compared to night, while life or resurrection is symbolized by morning. As morbid as the poem may seem, Donne exults in the power of death, for he asserts that it has only a fragile hold on the soul. Donne and many Protestant Reformers believe that when man dies, he falls into a state of unconsciousness or sleep until the day of resurrection, when Jesus Christ returns. Alluding to the scriptures of the Christian's triumph over death through Jesus Christ, Donne refers to the oft-quoted scripture in 1 Corinthians 15:54, 55. Here Paul asserts that "death is swallowed up in victory/55 O death, where is death? your sting? O tomb, where is your victory? The brevity of death's grip is compared to "a short sleep" and its defeat at the cross is the believer's hope. Here, Donne rejects the idea that death is an eternal and hopeless finality; instead, he chooses to rejoice in what comes after death. The resurrection of the dead is the reason for Donne's boast and is at the heart of his hopeful assurance in this poem. Serving as the poem's punchline located in the last line of the last stanza, Donne emphasizes the Protestant belief that after "a short sleep has passed, we wake eternally." This line parallels Scripture which states, “We shall not all sleep…For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” » Donne's faith is rooted in an eternal life promised to Christian believers where God will awaken those who are asleep in death to arise to live in their heavenly home. He believes that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). The eternity before him transcends the short sleep of the dead in the grave. To minimize the stature of Death in the poem, one discerns Donne's use of personification, irony, and sarcasm to accomplish his taunt of Death's lack of power over him. Death is personified as an unknown character; however, this being could be any of the members of the Greco-Roman pantheon, including Hades, Proserpina, Ceres, Proserpina, Pluto, or even Satan. The speaker of the poem addresses death as that which “thinks,” thus attributing to it one of the highest qualities of humanity: reason. Death ravages the land with a curse against the living while its boast remains unquestioned and no one escapes its grip. Donne lists Death's associates as "poyson", "disease", "war", ".