I have found a recurring theme of death in his writings. A lot of times when an author writes on a specific theme multiple times, their history reflects the theme. Artists (writing, visual or performance) tend to pull their childhood into their works to reflect more honest feelings and to get the reader more emotional. Painters who were abused as a child often paint in darkness to reflect sadness, and captivity. I believe that Donne had to be faced with death as a small child, or maybe just very exposed to the wickedness of the world.
Oddly though, he has a senses of light to his writings as well. He doesn't keep a graven attitude throughout, although he talks of death, but rather highlights good things. He laughs in the face of death, often thought the scariest thing of life, and tells him he is powerless. He talks of the afterlife, with such promise, excitement, and sureness that any reader feels hope.
When I think about this sonnet I often have to relate it to people who act like that in real life. Putting on this big and bad look, like nothing can stop them. The ones who shake everything off and stare people in the face with this so called look of "fearlessness". The ones who people think have no heart or feelings. I tend to disagree, I feel like these people are often the ones that are hurting the most, but instead of encountering their fears, much rather would they act like they are non-existent, or in this case less then reality. In this sonnet, I almost feel like this is what he is doing, honestly , he is horribly terrified of the same facet of life that haunts everyone of us, but he has proposed the idea that is nothing less then a harmless sleep.. to me it seems like it could be a good cooping mechanism.
ReplyDeleteRemember that Donne is living in a desperate and dangerous time... he is in the middle of civil war and religious hatred. He is surrounded by public cruelty and senseless tragedy. I think that would definitely cause someone to ponder the meaning of life and the nature of death!
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