A Study of John Donne’s “Holy

The “poppy or charms” making a reference towards opium and drugs. This last line is ironic in that death is not expected to die, rather take away life from others. In the statement "Death, be not proud, though some have called thee / Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so", one sees why death is so insignificant and why it should be humbled. Eventually everyone must die, including the rich and the poor. One should not fear something that causes sleep such as drugs: “And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well”. Death only has control over the physical aspects of a human, not the spiritual, upon when there is the “soul’s delivery” to the afterlife. However, in the end Death itself will be banished forever from the land of the living. Death claims the greatest men when they are too tired to live. Because “death” does not have a capital in the last line of the poet’s writing, death does not contain its mightiness. The poet informs death not to be arrogant over victory. Death should humble itself because it is only a small part of life. Eventually, when everyone has gone through her moment of death and rising to eternal life, "Death, thou shalt die". The poet personifies death with a challenge towards it. an make us sleep as well

And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then ?

One short sleep past, we wake eternally

And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.