What happens after death? It’s a question we’ve all thought about. Where did we come from, why are we here, where are we going next? These sorts of questions often play on our minds, perhaps when we’re lying awake on our beds at 2am unable to sleep, perhaps when sitting with a table of academics theorising about the end of the universe, perhaps when we’re doing something as mundane as standing on a crowded train trying to avoid stepping on a stranger’s feet. This curiosity is a fundamental element of human nature, and apparently has been for centuries. This week, we’re going to be discussing two sonnets of the Elizabethan era, John Donne’s Death, be not proud’ (Holy Sonnet 10) and One day I wrote her name upon the strand (Sonnet 75) by Edmund Spenser and how they demonstrate this human fascination with death. Both sonnets focus on the central idea of defeating death (immortality) but provide different perspectives. Donne argues that death will just lead us to eternal life in heaven; Spenser proposes that we can transcend death and ‘live on’ through the impact we leave on others. Do these 400-year-old ideas still resonate with our modern perceptions of immortality? Death, be not proud- John Donne
One day I wrote her name upon the strand- Edmund SpenserReading Sonnet 75 triggered a thought that perhaps I had been pondering the wrong question. Perhaps it isn’t all about what happens to me after my death- perhaps it’s about what happens to the lives of others. What impact would I leave on them in my absence? Spenser proposes a different type of immortality to that outlined by Donne; immortality through the memories of others, specifically through poetry:
Spenser suggests that the subject of the sonnet will transcend death, by continuing to exist in the world of the living in the form of poetry. The concept of continuing to live through the impact we’ve had on the world is one that speaks to me on a deeper level. We’d all like to think we have a purpose, some sort of reason for being here. When I die, I want to die feeling as though I have changed the life of at least one person for the better, whether that be through art, a scientific innovation, or even an emotional connection. Of course, there are those that argue that no matter what we do, it won’t matter after we die. This is the view held by the subject of the sonnet, who refers to the speaker as a “vain man” (line 5) for thinking that anything could last forever, and I’m certain there are many that would agree with her. However, many people are remembered after their death, commemorated with a statue, or with a formula named after them. Famous violinists like Paganini and Kreisler had the instruments they played named after them, living on in the memories of everyone who now plays and listens to those instruments; surely this is worth something. This idea of impact is what gives us purpose and drive, and without it, society would be nothing like what it is today. This form of immortality is relevant to everyone, and it was no different in Spenser’s time. As a race, we still don't know a whole lot about death. Throughout the centuries, our fear of death and our desire to overcome it have not diminished in the slightest. Death, be not proud and One day I wrote her name upon the strand each present their own take on our relationship with death, both of which still speak to the hearts of people today. Did these sonnets reflect your view on death? As always, I look forward to reading your thoughts and opinions in the comments below. Feel free to follow me on my social media channels below to keep up to date with our weekly discussions.
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