Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
             Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so:
             For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow
             Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
             From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
             Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
             And soonest our best men with thee do go,
             Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.
             Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
             And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
             And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
             And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
             One sort sleep past, we wake eternally
             And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.
             One of the top subjects for writers throughout the course of history has been the devastating effect of death on humans. John Donne exploits this in saying death only "seems" to win. In "Holly Sonnet," Donne, informs Death not to be arrogant over victory. Death only has control over the physical aspect of a human. Robert Browning also speaks of death in his poem "Prospice" but, unlike Donne, Browning talks of death as the final challenge, one in which he must face straight on.
             Donne tells us that the soul will live forever. He asks Death why it is proud because the sleep it inflicts is just as temporary as the of the effects of a drug. In the end Death, itself will be banished forever from the land of the living. "Holy sonnet 10" gives us power over Death and reassurance that it is not to be feared. John Donne personifies death when he opens up this sonnet with a challenge. "Death be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, thou are not so" (Done). Donne is saying that those that death thought he overthrew did not truly die. We are given reasons why death is so insignificant and why it should be humbled. Why should we fear something that makes us sleep like...