John Donne
HOLY SONNETS 10
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 picture[s] 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'rt 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 short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And Death shall be no more ; Death, thou shalt die.
1 - An example of a paradox in "Holy Sonnet 10" is:
a - "Death, be not proud."
b - "Death, thou shalt die."
c - "thou art slave to fate."
d - "one short sleep past."
I think it's B?
2 - The way the speaker addresses death is:
a - respectful.
b - kind.
c - sympathetic.
d - disrespectful.
I'm not sure, I think D?
To answer the first question, identifying the paradox in "Holy Sonnet 10" by John Donne, we can first understand what a paradox is. A paradox is a statement or situation that appears to be contradictory but holds a deeper truth.
In "Holy Sonnet 10," the paradoxical statement is "Death, thou shalt die." This line seems contradictory because death is typically associated with the end of life, but here the speaker personifies death as something that will ultimately be defeated or overcome. This paradox highlights the speaker's belief in an afterlife or immortality, where death itself will be destroyed.
Therefore, your answer choice of B - "Death, thou shalt die" is correct.
Moving on to the second question, the way the speaker addresses death in "Holy Sonnet 10," we can analyze the tone and language used by the speaker. The speaker's tone towards death can be described as disrespectful or defiant.
The speaker directly addresses death with phrases like "Death, be not proud" and challenges its power and significance. The speaker portrays death as something inferior, calling it "slave to Fate, chance, kings, and desperate men." The overall tone of the poem is one of defiance and a refusal to submit to the fear or power of death.
Based on this analysis, your answer choice of D - disrespectful is accurate.