Analytical comparison concepts and applications

¶ … Death

In the poems of John Donnes, Death Be Not Proud and Wislawa Szybmborska, on Death, without Exaggeration, both writers give importance on the intrinsic topic of death. Written almost three centuries apart, each poem narrates fine points about death, its immediate effects on life and the flaws of its character in carrying out its duties in this world. These two literary works bears witness on the perspective of each author from two different generations, with one on its defense and the other as death's modern critic.

Death Be Not Proud speaks of death as a subtle reality of life. It is not executed in arrogance but is highly regarded by the author as a natural means of fulfilling destiny.

Death be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for art not so"

In this poem, it shows no hate or fear to death but instead it conveys the inner magnificence of this natural occurrence. Being a man of religious belief, John Donnes explicitly pictures the images of death in its positive impression. Ever since, death have been regarded by the teachings of the church as a holy cycle of life wherein death is the end of man's life on earth and the start of a new life for a man's soul in heaven. Hence, in this poem the beauty of death is depicted as a form of deliverance.

And the soonest our best men thee do go,

Rest of their bones and souls delivery"

In contemporary perception to the literary work, the actuality of death is similar to that of natural rest and sleep. It is in the same notion that every time a man falls into sleep it is in its natural course practicing the experience of death. Therefore, death is a part of life that no one is exempted and cannot be stopped. Death, however inevitable, is an assurance of man's belief that there is a supreme destination after death. It is a component of our humanity and in essence the poem presents reverence and optimism to death.

However, in contrast to Death Be Not Proud, the modern-day poem, on Death, without Exaggeration critically defines the imperfection of death. Evidently, the author, Wislawa Szymborska, wants to put across the conception that death by its natural means has its own defects. Death is just an obstacle to life, for so many times it can't even perform its duties according to the interest of death's natural occurrence. Death deters the beauty of life and the hopes of man's future. This unavoidable occurrence has prevented so many of man's plans for his future to be fulfilled.

In our planning for tomorrow, it has the final word, which is always beside the point"

On Death, without Exaggeration's notion by far opposes the claims of Donnes that death is not a dreadful event, for this poem speaks of death as a supernatural being performing its task ill at ease and in the most awkward manner. For the author, death in its simplest term is stupid and weak. Death is useless, that every time it executes its job it often misses which only adds on misery and pain for man. Death is perceived to be pathetic and frail showing most of its weaknesses in every attempt to fulfill its work even with man's own intervention.

Sometimes it isn't strong enough, to swat a fly from the air"

Ill will won't help

And even our lending hands with wars and coup de etat is so far not enough"

It still cannot impede the overall offspring of life because every time it does it only fails and life still continues to prevail. The creativity of man to dissuade death has made it lose its credibility in modern times. According to the poem, there have many times that the occurrence of death has opposed the natural flow time and its fundamental nature.

Death, always arrives by the very moment to late"