John Donne Death Be Not Proud

The Defeat of Death In "Death, be not Proud," author John Donne writes down his thoughts pertaining to death. The message of this poem is that Christians, after death, will live eternally with Christ, thus defeating death. Donne uses this argument to state the fact that death should not be proud because Christ has overcome it by resurrecting from the dead. In essence, Donne wanted to encourage believers to not fear death because of the hope that heaven provides. John Donne was not the first to recognize that death has no power over Christians. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:55, "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" Paul was encouraging the church of Corinth to hold on to the hope that Christ gives us. A couple verses before verse 55 Paul states that "we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed" (verse 52). Also, in verse 54 Paul says, "Death is swallowed up in victory." He concludes this topic by giving thanks to God because He gives us victory over death. Paul's words to Corinth are very similar to those of John Donne. For example, Donne begins his poem by saying that people do not really die when death occurs. Similarly, Paul's
His words "From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow" mean that sleep is pleasant, so why cannot death also be pleasant? In fact, Donne suggests that death is more pleasant than sleep and that the "best men" die the soonest because they understand life after death. Paul's letter to the Corinthians has a similar message. He wrote, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed" (vs. 51-52). Paul's tone in these verses are hopeful and full of joy. He is conveying the truth that death is a glorious