Death be not Proud: ISC Class 12 English workbook solutions
Get notes, summary, questions and answers, workbook solutions (Beeta Publication/Morning Star), critical analysis, word meanings, extras, and pdf of John Donne’s poem Death be not Proud: ISC Class 12 English (Rhapsody: A Collection of ISC Poems). However, the notes should only be treated for references and changes should be made according to the needs of the students.
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Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Who is addressed to by the speaker in the poem?
(a) Sleep
(b) Soul
(c) Death
(d) None of the above
Answer: (c) Death
2. From the following literary devices which one is used in the poem, while addressing Death?
(a) Allusion
(b) Apostrophe
(c) Simile
(d) Metonymy
Answer: (b) Apostrophe
3. Which of the following characteristic of Death is admonished by the speaker in the poem?
(a) Arrogance
(b) Power
(c) Charm
(d) Faith
Answer: (a) Arrogance
4. Who, according to the speaker, is the subject of pity in the poem?
(a) Sleep
(b) Human beings
(c) Slaves
(d) Death
Answer: (d) Death
5. Which of the following have been described as ‘pictures’ of death?
(a) Poppy and charms
(b) Fate and chance
(c) Rest and sleep
(d) None of the above
Answer: (c) Rest and sleep
6. Who are the people who often die earliest?
(a) Virtuous
(b) Kings
(c) Slaves
(d) Sick
Answer: (a) Virtuous
7. Which trait of Death is referred to by describing it as ‘slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men’?
(a) Death has power over all except these
(b) Death is independent entity
(c) Death has no real power
(d) None of the above
Answer: (c) Death has no real power
8. Which of the following is NOT a part of the wretched company with whom Death hangs out?
(a) Poison
(b) War
(c) Sickness
(d) Desperate men
Answer: (d) Desperate men
9. Death is not a better inducer of sleep than which of the following?
(a) Poppy
(b) Charms
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) Rest
Answer: (c) Both (a) and (b)
10. Where will the people be when they will ‘wake eternally’?
(a) On earth
(b) In Heaven
(c) In their graves
(d) None of the above
Answer: (b) In Heaven
11. Which literary device is used in the last line of the poem?
(a) Polyptoton
(b) Simile
(c) Allusion
(d) Paradox
Answer: (d) Paradox
12. What is the central theme of the poem which he wants to convey?
(a) Death is mighty and dreadful
(b) Death is a powerless non-entity
(c) Death changes fate, chance and kings
(d) None of the above
Answer: (b) Death is a powerless non-entity
13. The poem, Death be Not Proud belongs to which category of poetry?
(a) Ballad
(b) Elegy
(c) Ode
(d) Sonnet
Answer: (d) Sonnet
14. What is the tone of the poem, Death be Not Proud?
(a) Defiant
(b) Polite
(c) Ecstasy
(d) None of the above
Answer: (a) Defiant
15. Which literary device is used in the line given below:
‘One short sleep past, we wake eternally.’
(a) Enjambment
(b) Simile
(c) Caesura
(d) Personification
Answer: (c) Caesura
Complete the Sentences
1. In the poem, Death be not Proud, the speaker says that some people find the Death, mighty and dreadful because ______
Answer: they are in awe of its power, which they find intimidating.
2. The speaker calls Death ‘poor’ because ______
Answer: Death is misguided in its belief that it has power, and it is Death itself, not human beings, that deserves pity for this delusion.
3. The speaker has described Death as a picture of rest and sleep because ______
Answer: a dead person looks like someone who is simply resting or asleep, and since rest and sleep are pleasurable, death is merely a more intense and pleasurable version of them.
4. According to the speaker, the ‘best men’ often die earliest because ______
Answer: they are the most virtuous and are therefore chosen by God to receive their reward of eternal life in heaven sooner than others.
5. Death is described as a form of transition from earthly life to eternal life because ______
Answer: it is only a brief sleep for the physical body, after which the soul awakens to live forever in the afterlife.
6. The speaker refers to Death as a ‘slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men’ because ______
Answer: Death is not a free agent with its own power but is merely an instrument controlled by external and unpredictable forces.
7. The speaker denies Death as being the best sleep inducer because ______
Answer: drugs from the poppy plant or magical charms are better at inducing sleep, as they are gentler and more effective than Death’s stroke.
8. The speaker has described Death as a pitiable braggart because ______
Answer: it is personified as a boastful individual who swells with pride over a power it does not actually possess, making it deserving of pity for its misguided conceit.
9. The poet feels that Death is arrogant because ______
Answer: it is proud of the power it believes it holds, puffing itself up because some people fear it, even though it is actually powerless.
10. In the poem, the speaker tells Death, ‘Death thou shalt die’ because ______
Answer: after a short sleep, human souls will awaken to an eternal afterlife where Death has no power or role to play, meaning Death itself will cease to exist.
Short answer questions
1. Who is the poet addressing in the poem? In what tone is he addressing it? About what he is admonishing it?
Answer: In the poem, the poet is addressing a personified Death, speaking to it directly as if it were a person.
The poet addresses Death in a defiant and almost mocking tone. He rages defiantly against Death’s perceived haughtiness.
He is admonishing Death for being too proud. The speaker chastises Death for swelling in conceit and acting like a boastful, misguided individual, when in reality it is a subject lacking in significance and power.
2. According to the speaker, how do some people view death? For the speaker, how is their viewpoint not correct?
Answer: According to the speaker, some people view Death as mighty and dreadful. It is generally perceived as something that is terribly feared.
For the speaker, this viewpoint is not correct because he asserts that Death is not so. He claims that Death has no real power and is deceived in its belief that it can overthrow human life. The speaker argues that Death does not hold sway over the world and cannot overpower anyone, and that people do not truly die when Death takes them.
3. Why does the poet feel that Death is arrogant?
Answer: The poet feels that Death is arrogant because some people are in awe of its power, which they find intimidating, and this has caused Death to become proud. The poet sees Death as having a perceived haughtiness and puffing itself up in pride, even though it is a boastful and misguided individual with a completely wrong idea about its actual role in the lives of human beings.
4. Why has the Death been described in the poem as ‘poor? Which literary device is used by describing Death in this manner?
Answer: Death has been described in the poem as ‘poor’ because the speaker suggests that Death itself, not human beings, is the one that deserves pity and denigration. This is because Death has such a misguided view of its own power and importance.
The literary device used by describing Death in this manner is personification. By calling Death ‘poor’, the speaker gives it the human quality of being pitiable. This helps to turn the philosophical argument about Death’s powerlessness into a kind of battle, making the concept easier to follow.
5. How has the speaker compared Death to rest and sleep? How is death related to sleep in the last two lines of the poem?
Answer: The speaker has compared Death to rest and sleep by stating that they are merely ‘pictures’ of Death. He claims that Death is a reflection of rest and sleep, and since these activities bring pleasure, Death, being a heightened version of them, must be even more pleasurable.
In the last two lines, death is related to a ‘short sleep’. The speaker states that after this brief sleep, people will awaken to an eternal life. This presents death as a temporary and restful state, similar to sleeping, before one awakens into the afterlife.
6. (a) Explain the meaning of the following: ‘Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.’
(b) Which figure of speech is used in the above line?
Answer: (a) The line ‘Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery’ means that when good people die, their physical bodies, represented by their bones, are laid to rest in the ground. Simultaneously, their souls are freed, or delivered, from their bodily prisons and transition to the eternal life in heaven.
(b) The figure of speech used in the phrase ‘soul’s delivery’ is a metaphor. The soul’s release from the physical body is compared to a delivery, which suggests it is being freed from confinement and transported to the afterlife.
7. Explain how is Death a ‘slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men?
Answer: Death is described as a ‘slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men’ because it is not a free agent that can determine its own course of action. It is merely an instrument that is bound and controlled by these other impersonal and unpredictable forces. Fate and chance can cause death; kings can order executions; and desperate men can kill themselves or others. In these instances, Death does not act independently but is commanded by these other powers, making it their slave.
8. Describe the three desperate elements with whom Death is said to hang out. What does it suggest about Death?
Answer: The three desperate elements with whom Death is said to hang out, or dwell, are poison, war, and sickness.
This association suggests that Death is not a mighty or grand entity but rather a miserable slave that keeps wretched and detestable company. This connection to suffering and unpleasantness serves to diminish any perception of power or glory that might be attributed to Death.
9. How is ‘Death be not Proud’ a sonnet?
Answer: ‘Death be not Proud’ is a sonnet because it is a fourteen-line poem written in iambic pentameter. It combines features of both the Petrarchan and the English sonnet. Like a Petrarchan sonnet, it is divided into an octave with an ABBAABBA rhyme scheme that presents an argument. However, its final six lines, or sestet, have a CDDCEE rhyme scheme, which can be seen as a quatrain and a concluding couplet, a structure characteristic of the English sonnet.
10. Explain the paradox in the last two lines of the poem, Death be not Proud.
Answer: The paradox in the last two lines is contained in the declaration, ‘Death, thou shalt die.’ This statement is contradictory because it proclaims that Death, the force that ends life, will itself come to an end. The paradox is resolved by the Christian belief in eternal life after death. After a ‘short sleep’, human souls will ‘wake eternally’ in heaven, a place where death no longer exists. Therefore, Death’s power and purpose become obsolete, meaning it effectively ‘dies’. Death is thus paradoxically described as a kind of rebirth into the afterlife.
Long answer questions
1. What does the poet accuse Death of? Explain the arguments he give to prove his accusations against Death?
Answer: The poet accuses Death of being arrogant and proud without cause. He chastises Death as a subject lacking in significance and power and accuses it of keeping the undesirable company of poison, war, and disease. The poet also describes Death as a miserable slave.
To prove these accusations, the poet presents several arguments. First, he claims that Death is not as mighty or dreadful as some people think, suggesting that Death is deceived into believing it can overthrow human life when, in fact, it cannot kill the speaker or anyone else. Second, he compares Death to rest and sleep, which he calls Death’s pictures. Since rest and sleep provide much pleasure, he argues that Death, being a heightened version of them, must offer even more pleasure. Third, he argues that Death is not a free agent but a slave to other forces like fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, who can all cause death, making Death merely an instrument, not the cause. Fourth, he points out that even drugs like poppy or magical charms are better at inducing sleep because they are gentler and more effective than Death’s stroke. Finally, the poet argues that Death is just a temporary phase, a short sleep, after which humans wake eternally into an afterlife where Death has no role. This leads to the ultimate conclusion that it is Death itself which will die.
2. Explain with examples the central theme of the poem, Death be not Proud.
Answer: The central theme of the poem is the insignificance of Death. The poet asserts that Death has no real power and is, in fact, a powerless non-entity that should not be feared. He tries to deflate Death’s arrogance by admonishing it for being too proud when it is neither mighty nor dreadful.
The poet elaborates on this theme through several points. He describes Death as a heightened version of sleep. Just as sleep is a state of rest and rejuvenation, Death is presented as a reprieve for the physical body while the soul moves on to the eternal afterlife. This comparison makes death seem less frightening. The theme of Death’s powerlessness is further developed by showing that it cannot determine its own course of action. It is completely at the mercy of impersonal and unpredictable forces, described as a slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men. This strips Death of any perceived authority. The poem also contains the theme of courage in the face of death. The speaker is defiant and confident, viewing death not as an end but as a brief sleep before awakening to a better, eternal life. This courage stems from the theme of faith in God. The poem is filled with religious undertones, reflecting the Christian belief that death is a transition that ushers the pious into the presence of God, where they will spend eternity.
3. State the metaphors associated with Death used in the poem. What do these metaphors suggest about Death?
Answer: The poem uses several key metaphors to describe Death. The most prominent is personification, where Death is addressed directly as a boastful and misguided individual who is full of pride. Another significant metaphor is the comparison of Death to rest and sleep, with sleep being called one of Death’s pictures. Finally, Death is described metaphorically as a slave.
These metaphors suggest that Death is not a powerful or terrifying force. The personification of Death as a proud entity allows the speaker to rebuke it directly, turning a philosophical idea into a battle and making the argument against its power easier to follow. By calling it “poor Death,” the poet presents it as a pitiable figure rather than a mighty one. The metaphor of sleep suggests that death is a natural, peaceful, and even pleasurable state, much like a restful sleep that rejuvenates a tired person. It frames death as a temporary rest for the body before the soul’s delivery to the afterlife, thereby reducing its fearfulness. The metaphor of Death as a slave completely strips it of its power and agency. It suggests that Death has no will of its own and is merely an instrument controlled by other forces like fate, chance, and the will of kings and desperate men. This portrays Death as a miserable, powerless figure rather than a commanding one.
4. ‘Death thou shalt die.’ Explain the poem ‘Death be not Proud’ with reference to this statement.
Answer: The statement “Death thou shalt die” is the final, paradoxical declaration in the poem, and it serves as the climax of the speaker’s argument against Death’s power. It means that Death itself will cease to exist for those who attain eternal life.
The entire poem builds towards this concluding line. The speaker systematically dismantles Death’s reputation by arguing that it is not mighty, that it is less pleasurable than sleep, and that it is a slave to other forces. The poem posits that death is not a final end but merely a “short sleep.” After this brief sleep, human souls “wake eternally.” This eternal awakening refers to the Christian concept of an afterlife in heaven. In this eternal life, there is no more suffering or dying. Because people will live forever, Death’s function becomes obsolete; it will have no one left to claim. Therefore, in a world of eternal life, Death itself becomes non-existent, or “dies.” The paradox lies in the idea that for humans to live forever, the entity of Death must be vanquished. This reflects the Christian belief, as mentioned in the Bible, that death is the final enemy that will be destroyed. The poem, through this final statement, makes a bold declaration of the powerlessness of Death and offers an assurance of eternal life in heaven.
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Great way to answer quick doubts. Thank you Online Free Notes!
How to answer if question is about style of peom
i also have the same doubt
All the best for 14th jan
The poem is written in the form of a sonnet. It has elements of both the Petrarchan sonnet and the English or Shakespearean sonnet.