Religion in Donnes Death Be Not Proud - Essay Example

?Religion in Donne’s Death Be Not Proud “Death Be Not Proud” is a ic metaphysical poem composed by John Donne in 17th century England. This poemtreats with eschatological themes since the perspective of the speaker is mainly religious. The biology of man dictates that he has to die. Man, only composed of flesh and blood, eventually disintegrates to dust. The physical decomposition of man emphasizes his frailty and fallen nature. In the many interpretations of death, Donne puts forward his beliefs on life, death and human suffering. Cognizant of his mortal constitution, Donne still rebuffs death as a being that is overcome by the bright prospects of the afterlife. The Reformation movement deeply casts an indelible mark upon the face of religious life and the belief system in England until Donne, formerly a Catholic, converts to Protestantism. In his poem , Donne casts down the pride of death and hopefully asserts that humans pass not only from one physical state to another, but also from one world to the next, leaning on Reformation teachings of the afterlife as a means of consolation and courage. The English Reformation commenced in England since the 14th century with John Wycliffe. However it was not until three centuries later that the Reformation cemented in England. The conflicts between the Catholic kings and Pope and the Protestant movement headed by Henry VIII sparked much dissension. However, it is not until Queen Elizabeth I (1556-1603) that English Protestantism takes root. After she is deceased, she names another Protestant king, King James I (1603-1625) to succeed her. This king is the same monarch who authorizes the printing and publishing of the well-known King James Version of the Bible. Religion figures preponderantly in politics and wider society. As some believed in the divine right of rule that belonged to the monarchy, allegiance to God in some minds is equated to loyalty to the king. In the 17th century, England divorces itself from the Papacy, literally and figuratively through Henry VIII’s displeasure at being disallowed a divorce by the Pope. As a result, the State’s religion becomes English Catholic or Anglican. Different segments of Christians advocate widely different beliefs for they see the flaws in the Church thus urgently recognize the need to reform. The Puritans and the Quakers are some of these non-conformist churches. Certain laws come into force which give these sectarian non-conformist groups freedom to practice their religion unhindered such as The Corporation Act (1661), the Act of Uniformity (1662), the Bill of Rights (1689) and the Toleration Act (1689). As Reformation continues in England and the feeling of discontent with religion increases, more and more people leave the mainstream state religion in favor of others. This time marks the period when the English Church distances itself as far as possible from Catholicism to the point at times to hostility (Mullet 245-55). Donne’s poetry cannot be understood apart from his reformation theology. The Reformation was founded on three principal tenets, sola scriptura, sola fide and sola gratia or (by the Word alone, by faith alone, and by grace alone respectively) (O’Collins 2004). This movement inspires many radical changes to take place so that adherents turn to a Christocentric belief system. As an Anglican minister, Donne incorporated his reformed beliefs into his poetry, although he does not wholly divorce some Catholic teachings. Donne’s theological perceptions on death predominantly derive from the Reformers since it is so rooted in the Scriptures. Widely distinct from Catholicism, Protestantism is not considered compatible with Catholic dogma. On one hand, Catholicism embraces superstition and its worship was grounded on tradition, rather than on the Bible especially with such doctrines as the Eucharist, purgatory, the worship of relics, the worship of saints, indulgences sales and Latinized readings. On the other, the Reformers sought a closer relationship with God through Bible truth and a revived Church that lived up to higher standards. In this religious context, belief in the truth by faith would set the believer free. Following the steps of Biblical authors, Donne portrays the transience of life, likening 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 “from rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee.” This metaphor, employed by David, Jesus and even the apostle Paul, demonstrates the brevity of life yet the hope of an eternal after-life. In this figure, death is compared to a night, whereas life or resurrection is symbolized by the morning. Morbid though the poem may seem, Donne exults over death’s power, for he asserts that it only has a fragile hold over the soul. Donne and many of the Protestant reformers believe that at man’s decease, he lapses into a state of unconsciousness or sleep until resurrection day when Jesus Christ returns again. 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 thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” The brevity of death’s hold is compared to “one short sleepe” and its defeat at the cross is the hope of the believing. Here, Donne rejects the view that death is a despairing, eternal finality; instead, he chooses to rejoice in what come after death. The resurrection of the dead is the reason behind Donne’s boast and is central to his hopeful assurance in this poem. Serving as the poem’s punchline located at the last line of the last stanza, Donne urges the Protestant belief that subsequent to “one short sleepe past, wee wake eternally.” This line runs parallel to the Scripture that declares that “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 everlasting life promised to Christian believers that God will awake those who fall asleep in death to arise to live in their heavenly home. He believes that whosever believes in Jesus would not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The eternity before him transcends the short sleep of the dead in the grave. To belittle 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 unknown character; however, this being could be any of the members of the Greco-Roman pantheon including Hades, Proserpine, Ceres, Proserpine, Pluto or even Satan. The poem’s speaker addresses death as one that “think'st,” thus attributing to it one of the highest qualities of mankind: reason. Death blights the earth with a curse against the living as his boast goes unchallenged with no one escaping its grasp. Donne enumerates Death’s associates as “poyson” “sickness” “warre” “fate” and “chance.” Personifying death enables him to enter into discourse with death. Because of Death’s unwanted sinister and deathly influence, the speaker chooses to inculpate it, oppose it, mock it, and rebuke it. Death has committed many ravages against mankind by taking away “our best men.” He has deprived men from experiencing life to its fullest since death is used as punishment or as a threat in the hands of governors/government. In terms of irony, the speaker realizes that death actually does not perform its duties efficiently with poppies and charmes outdoing it. For those who have passed under the hand of death, “die not… (neither), yet canst thou kill mee.” This irony impresses on the mind the speaker’s demeaning opinion of death. It fails to carry out its grave purpose although it thinks it does. Death is usually referred to as one that takes its victims captive instead, the speaker asserts that the reverse is true. Instead of being lauded as a majestic ruler or master, the speaker dethrones death, relegating it to the position of a “slave” that merely serves a duty to those who would use it. Again, the speaker deflates the pride of death, demanding that death “be not proud.” Although death truly claims all men and women under its authority, the speaker defiantly refuses to pay him homage. Rather, he gives death a warning of its impending demise for he knows in his heart that death… “shalt die.” This affirmation reflects Paul’s firm belief that “the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26). Poppies and charm(e)s are soporific or sleep-inducing ingredients and to dwarf death’s accomplishments, likens death’s effect to that of drugs that bring on sleep. "Death Be Not Proud" of necessity includes "poppies" and “charmes” to maintain the death theme. Death is a compact of sleep and flowers, but of narcotic flowers especially – a revenant who […] bears always the secret of decay in her, of return to the grave (Gauding 308). According to The Signs and Symbols Bible, in Greco-Roman mythology, poppies were traditionally offered to the dead, signifying eternal sleep. The poppy is a wild flower which historically symbolizes sleep and death: sleep, because of its opium content and soporific effect; and death, because of its commonly blood-red color. Likewise just as there is blood in death, no one is born into this world without blood, therefore, there is the connotation of birth and rebirth. Contrary to its presumed, baneful effect, death only ends up doing good. It lulls the dead into a comatose state, it separates the dead from the unfortunate vicissitudes of life such as adversity, war, sickness, socio-political unrest, the struggle to survive – from all of these he is shut out. Also death functions only to propel the dead to another higher level. A level that is enviable to the living, an experience that death itself cannot taste and enjoy. Donne affirms that death only causes the “soules deliverie”/soul’s delivery. In other words, it liberates the soul from the time; it emancipates the being from physical constraints and it unchains the soul from the body. At the same time, Donne concedes that man has no control over death in and of himself as he is powerless to manipulate, refuse or defy death’s approach. Donne enumerates death’s enablers such as fate, poison, war, sickness and cruel, desperate men. He acknowledges that in the hands of these entities, death is utilized against man. He acknowledges that it is man’s lot to die since man is mortal and has to periodically succumb to it. Aware of man’s evil nature, Donne states that “desperate men” are the ones who sometimes instigate death by their own actions incurring and entering war. Poison and sickness are other means by which one may fall. Kings and tyrants who would have their own way have recourse to threaten their subjects with death, to strike fear in their hearts and coerce compliance. Men precipitate other men to death. In sum, Donne’s Death Be Not Proud is a metaphysical poem because it treats with philosophical and theological themes for example death and religion. The poem reflects prevailing religious persuasion in 17th century England and demonstrates with ardent conviction the position of the Anglican believer in matters relating to life and death, heaven and hell. An intimate acquaintance with the Bible and the fundamental tenets of Protestantism enables the decoding of this poetry which is melancholy in its subject but strikes a note of hope in the end. Works Cited: Gauding, M. The Signs and Symbols Bible: The Definitive Guide to Mysterious Markings, Sterling Publishing Company, New York, 2009. Mullett, M.A. Historical Dictionary of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, Scarecrow Press, UK, 2010. Metaphor in Jonson’s Queen and Huntress/Hymn to Hesperus Ben Jonson (1573-1637) pens the laudatory poem, "Queen and Huntress" praising either the brilliance of the goddess Hesperus or Venus (same evening star deity). Jonson poeticizes the star via mythology, personifying and deifying it as Hesperus/Venus, Cynthia and Diana, Hunter goddesses. At the same time, Jonson uses nature to stress the evening star’s resplendence as royalty and head of the stellar order. By delving into the myth behind the Queen of Heaven, one gains greater understanding of the goddess metaphors and the imagery used to describe the worshipped woman. As a child of the 17th century England, Jonson accepts Christianity and so as such, many of his work is permeated with religious imagery. He has written devotionals and hymns and it must be noted that Queen and Huntress is otherwise called a “Hymn to Hesperus.” It must be noted that the Queen and Huntress refer to the same person in mythology hence one can observe the merger of both erotic and astrological themes. "Queen and Huntress" employs astrological imagery to reinforce the light that the monarch star emits. The skies are the paradisiacal setting where heavenly bodies dwell to awe mankind’s eye. Jonson observes the star as the sun goes to sleep (at sunset), hence it is at this point that the evening star shines the brightest. Jonson is a cavalier poet and as such his genre of poetry would advertise the chivalric tradition of knights, the amorous attentions of knights to ladies, richly lavishing metaphors depicting images of highly regarded female figures. In “Queen and Huntress”, the ideals of the chivalric code endorse both amorous and belligerent values. The core aspects of the courtly knight represented in the poem are those of valor and prowess as hunter/warrior (esteemed distinctions). The character Diana/Venus embodies and epitomizes skillful archery while she follows her instinct of conquest in the typical warrior tradition (Kumar 14). The speaker sings about " bow of pearl …/And crystal-shining quiver” exploits as she is titled with the appellate "huntress". Although she is beautiful and appears serene, the speaker has more intimate knowledge of her. He is acquainted with her raw pugnacity as a way of life which is lorded as the prime trait in cavaliers. The awesome courageous deeds of the heroine are emphasized. Since time immemorial, kings would honor their warriors so that warfare is glorified. This criterion becomes the test of a true knight's strength against adversity. Engaging in battle is not simply for the expansion of territory and defeat of foes but also is the knight's golden opportunity to show competence. Indeed, the early form of cavalier tradition endorsed militancy where the hunt becomes the prime stage in the epic where the action unfolds. In “Queen and Huntress”, the bob and wheel style (which is a rhyming section of five lines) enhances and sophisticates the courtly language in the chivalric tradition.   The cavalier tradition matures as it comes to focus on courtly life, celebrating the life of the upper class. In “Queen and Huntress” one observes cavaliership is more formalized. The ideals of courtly life and chivalry extend further in the poem where the focus shifts from the knight's prowess at arms and centers on the Queen’s integrity and inward condition. The scene of action moves from the hunt to the regal court environment where there is more sophistication, refinement, deportment and courtesy. The huntress' role becomes more domesticated as a result as the speaker bid her to put down her weapons, pleading with Diana to “give unto the flying hart/ Space to breathe, how short soever.” Courtly love is prominently displayed in “Queen and Huntress” taking center stage. This amorous dimension defines for us the goddess Diana's high standards and character more than the hunt ever could. The romantic adds and sublimates knighthood to a rarefied level heretofore unattained. The speaker idealizes Diana as a worthy paragon of femininity. She stands out as a inimitable woman whose brilliance enamors the heart of the love-struck speaker. The queen represents the archetype of quality queenship. In “Queen and Huntress”, specifically during the period of the 17th century, the cavalier tradition and its ideals are becoming obsolete in a changing society although it still retains the vestiges of prestige, high honor and distinction as a class. In the period of the Reformation and the turbulent political period that it represents, there are those who adamantly support the kings on one hand, and there are those who are against the monarchy on the other. It is not surprising that this poem, “Queen and Huntress” alludes to a predominant 17th century ruler that impacted on English society remarkably – Queen Elizabeth I. Often referred to as the “Virgin Queen” because she chooses not to marry, similar reference is made to a queen that is “chaste and fair.” Queen Elizabeth I was a woman who obtained power that was considered masculine (she is the central figure in English politics), reigning for more than half a century. Docile and gentle, yet resolute, courageous and strong, Queen Elizabeth I ruled at a time of political upheavals. As England’s first Protestant monarch after Henry VIII, Elizabeth’s duty is to stabilize the political and religious economies and that she does. As a contemporary of Elizabeth, Jonson would have been familiar with Elizabeth’s mannerisms and reign. Here, the poem displays a queen seated in regalia with all her splendor. She is “seated in (a) silver chair/ state in wonted manner keep.” The brilliance of the lady monarch is unequalled as the spectator views the lady of beauty and high classed culture. Jonson is a proponent of 17th century High Culture which he represented his view in his poem, “Queen and Huntress”. High Culture encompasses the fine arts or liberal arts of a distinguished group. Culture is a token of a nation's civilization. The definition of culture was "the disinterested endeavour after man's perfection." According to Jonson’s view, having culture meant having a knowledge of the best in the world thus, he believes that high culture was a great moral and political tool which when wielded rightly can be an instrument for good. His espousal of High Culture is a reactionary movement against Philistinism which defines an attitude opposing art, beauty, reason and spiritual values. Philistinism also is the ready acceptance and observation of conventional social values without critical consideration, hence one can see the reasons for the prevailing wave of questioning and disbelief peculiar to the 17th century period in England. “Queen and Hunter” also bespeaks of a poem rich in metaphoric language, sublime imagery drawn from his quotidian experience. For example, proverbial illusion to Cynthia and Venus, mythological figures, and beautiful metaphor used to praise the beauty of Diana adds to the picture of the heavenly bodies. Jonson chooses to depict Hesperus as "Goddess excellently bright" repeated three times at each of the last stanzas. This quasi-chorus serves to emphasize the woman’s shining beauty and the infatuation of the loving to the beloved to the point of excesses. In the poem, the social context bears a great weight since the growing meritocracy in British society brings in its wake the prosperity of the bourgeoisie and the decline of former knightly ideals and the rule of the aristocracy. The queenly Star standing as the Queen of Heaven is actually a Catholic reference to Marian worship (Hansen 142). The veneration of the woman is seen in popular allusion to good, beneficent gods as those who shine, dispelling darkness. This type of adoration is also common to astrology, a developed cult surrounding stars and planets. The queen’s chastity is linked to sexual purity and moral excellence which correspond with the qualities to be admired in women. In parallel, Hesperus is identified as a star of the dusk and is contrasted with Venus. According to legend, Hesperus is a divine being belonging to/associated with negative connotations such as death and evil. Cynthia is also another Greek goddess-the goddess of the moon. She is responsible for the phases of the moon which goes hand in hand with the woman’s menstrual cycle-an integral part of the woman’s sexuality and fertility. The poem can also be interpreted as one with an erotic theme with the male attempting to woo his beloved. The metaphoric references of the star or woman to Diana, Venus and Cynthia oozes with eroticism as both Diana and Venus are goddesses of sex, fertility and marriage (Green 221). Although the woman is said to be pure and chaste, she is by no means unattractive. She is nubile, youthful and sexually appealing. In Greco-Roman times, these fertility goddesses are the benefactors of blessing, children, food and prosperity. It was thought that the sacrifice and invocation to these goddesses would bring to the devotee what is desired. The regal imagery depicts the queen seated in her majestic state. The speaker makes alludes to the throne on which the star is enshrined using as a metaphor for the queen’s seat of power. Her holding an orb is another signature of her lofty status. Similar to the cavalier tradition, whose poets compose stanzas in praise of their kings and benefactors, the “Queen and Huntress” clearly exalts a benign, female authority figure. The image of the archer-god, Cupid is not little known for he is another deistic representation of eroticism and love. The arrow and quiver used by the gods to hunt not merely tools, but they are phallic symbols associated with male strength and masculine sexuality. Just as Cupid draws and fires his arrows, setting lovers afire with passion, so Diana in her hunting takes aim at harts/hearts. The “hart” mentioned in the last stanza is a pun (double-entendre, referring to both the hunted animal that lives in the forest and also, the seat of the speaker’s emotions, the heart, which he petitions her not to hurt. The form of the poem is noteworthy for it presents the reader with the key to understanding the point of the poet. The lines are very rhythmic in measure with the meter ababcc. This iambic pentameter is known as the Venus and Adonis stanza which William Shakespeare popularized in his sonnets (Christ 87). William Wordsworth also employs the Venus and Adonis stanza in his poetry. The rhyme accentuates the musicality of the poem, making it a lyrical serenade to an august woman. Here Jonson forges a connection between the woman, Hesperus/Venus and the type of meter named after her. The Venus and Adonis stanza (which is a rhyming section of six lines) enhances and sophisticates the courtly language in the chivalric tradition. In “Queen and Huntres”, the quality of language improves because it is address to a woman of highest caliber, the ruling monarch. In conclusion, “Queen and Huntress” is a unique Jonson poetry which underscores ability of rich metaphors to portray nature in a manner for the reader to clearly catch. The goddess and regal metaphors all play a part in conveying a message of beauty, eroticism, femininity, militancy and cavalier mores treasured in epic times. Revered queens and goddesses personify order and stability simultaneously serving as metaphors for projecting the character qualities of women who are daring and courageous enough to rule and to fight. These symbols and images are strategically placed to extend the reader’s understanding of the functions of objects in nature and gives a crystallized idea of female sexuality and female sovereignty. Works Cited: Christ, H.I. Shakespeare for the Modern Reader: A User-Friendly Introduction, iUniverse Publications, Nebraska, 2001. Green, C.M.C. Roman Religion and the Cult of Diana at Aricia, Volume 0, Issues 521-85150, Cambridge University Press, New York, 2011. Hansen, W. Hansen, W.F. Classical Mythology: A Guide to the Mythical World of the Greeks and Romans, Oxford University Press, New York, 2005. Kumar, A. Encyclopedia of Consciousness, Vol. 1, Focal Press, 2010. O’Collins, G. Farrugia, E.G. A Concise Dictionary of Theology, Continuum International Publishing Group, New Jersey, 2004. Read More