No matter your religion, sex, or race; death comes to us all. No generation knows this better than the present. Death rates are at an all time high. This is why it is not a surprise that artists of literature, such as poets, continually write literature on death. Two such poets are Dylan Thomas and John Donne. These two artists similarly but also very differently explore death in there poetry.
In the Holy Sonnet 10: Death Be Not Proud, Donne explores the idea that Death is not something to be feared, but looked forward to as a release from life. Donne does not hate life; he just understands that when you die there is no more death. John Donne was a catholic. When a catholic dies they believe that he or she will go to heaven to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. If death means being united with Jesus, then Donne is correct in thinking that the after life is a release. Thomas takes a much more secular view than Donne. Contrary to Donne, Thomas believes that death is something that you should not look forward too. Death is something that a person should avoid for as long as possible. Thomas says, Do not go gentle into that good night, to tell people to stay alive as long as possible. It is hard to say why Thomas feels the way he does about life. In Holy Sonnet 10: Death Be Not Proud Donne believes because of his religion, but we find no such reason with Thomas. Thomas is just a man who enjoys life and wants to make the most out of it before he leaves. He in no way implies of a life after with Jesus.
Even though these to poems are so different, they do have many things in common. The poems Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night and Holy Sonnet 10: Death Be Not Proud both deal with death. Ever since the beginning of written literature authors have written about this topic. Even the Bible, the most influential book in the world, deals frequently with death. These two poets realized that death is a major issue among people and want to share their views. A common theme in these two poems is the idea that death is a part of life. Whether or not death is good or bad, it is a hard fact of life that no man or woman can avoid. The only way that a human being may ever elude the fate is if Jesus Christ comes back and takes his children with him.
It does not make any difference how the reader feels about these poems. One thing is certain. Life is too short to not live it to the fullest. While Donne feels that death is a release, he also infers that we should live life to the fullest while we are here.
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