Which line best states the theme of John Donne's Holy Sonnet 10?
A. "and soonest our best men with thee do go"
B. "Death be not proud, though some have called me"
C. "Death be not proud, though some have called thee..."
D. ".. And doest with poison, war, and sickness dwell..."
My answer is D
I see what you mean and it would be C.
I think so.
The line "Death be not proud, though some have called thee" best states the theme of John Donne's Holy Sonnet 10.
To arrive at this answer, you can follow a few steps:
1. Read the entire poem. Holy Sonnet 10, also known as "Death Be Not Proud," explores the concept of death and challenges its power.
2. Identify the repeated phrase or idea. In this sonnet, the repeated phrase is "Death be not proud," which is mentioned multiple times throughout the poem.
3. Determine the meaning behind the repeated phrase. The phrase "Death be not proud" expresses the poet's defiance towards death and conveys the theme of overcoming the fear of dying.
4. Compare the options. Option A, "and soonest our best men with thee do go," talks about the inevitability of death but does not explicitly address the theme of defying death. Option B, "Death be not proud, though some have called me," is a misquotation as it changes the pronoun from "thee" to "me," altering the meaning. Option D, "And doest with poison, war, and sickness dwell," describes the various ways that death manifests but does not directly address the theme of defying death.
Therefore, option C, "Death be not proud, though some have called thee," best encapsulates the theme of John Donne's Holy Sonnet 10.