Death is always an interesting topic and two poets that allow us to look
             at death in a different way are John Donne and Emily Dickinson. Donne's
             "Death be not Proud, Though Some Have Called Thee" and Dickinson's "Because
             I Could not Stop for Death" offer a different perspectives on the subject
             of death and dying. While both may have different views on the afterlife,
             they share the same sentiment that death should not be feared. Through
             mood, tone, and symbolism, each poet encourages us to live fearlessly when
             Donne's poem personifies death and speaks to it with a cynical attitude,
             explaining from the very beginning that it will never triumph over man.
             The tone of the poem is straightforward and the poet expresses unusual
             confidence as he explains to death that it has no reason to be proud,
             despite the fact that "many have called thee/Mighty and dreadful" (Donne 1-
             2). The poet tells death that just because many have considered this
             aspect of death to be true, the truth of the matter is that it is "not so"
             (2). The poet also tells death that the people he thinks he overthrows do
             not die at all. This point is significant because it establishes the mood
             for the poem, which is essentially disrespect for death. The poet not only
             wants us to understand that he has no fear of death but also that we should
             Similarly, "Because I Could not Stop for Death" depicts the same type of
             attitude toward death. Even the title of this poem suggests that the poet
             does not really have time to be bothered with death. One of the first
             things we notice about this poem is the fact the poet says she could not
             stop for death, not that she would not stop for it. The title prepares us,
             however, for a very interesting perspective concerning death. The poet
             personifies death as Donne does, though she does not speak to death with
             the same type of cynical attitude. Instead, t
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