Welcome to “Death Be Not Proud Workbook Answer : ISC Rhapsody (Evergreen),” where we delve into the profound and timeless poem “Death Be Not Proud,” featured in the ISC English Literature Rhapsody by Evergreen Publications. This post provides comprehensive answers to multiple-choice and contextual questions, deepening your understanding of John Donne’s iconic meditation on mortality and the transcendence of the human spirit. We meticulously unravel the nuances of the poem, exploring its rich imagery, paradoxes, and theological undertones that challenge the power and finality of death. Each question serves as a portal to dissecting the text, urging readers to analyze its intricate language, subtle nuances, and the profound meanings it conveys. Contextual inquiries expand our scope for exploration, prompting critical engagement with the poem’s philosophical and metaphysical dimensions. Through this examination, readers sharpen their analytical skills and develop a deep appreciation for Donne’s poetic mastery and the enduring relevance of his reflections on life and death. Whether you are a student navigating ISC English Literature or an avid reader exploring the depths of metaphysical poetry, “ISC Rhapsody: Death Be Not Proud Workbook Solutions” offers valuable insights and companionship. Join us on this literary journey as we illuminate the path to understanding, one workbook solution at a time.
Table of Contents
Poem In Details :
The poet addresses Death is an assertive tone. He asks him (personified version of Death) not to feel proud. He is generally viewed as mighty and dreadful but in reality he is not so.
Death is not dreadful because those whom he thinks he kills are not killed in reality. They do not die, rather they only have a long peaceful rest and sleep. As sleep results in much pleasure and comfort, so death must result in greater pleasure and comfort. That is why, those who are great and virtuous die young. They deserve rest and comfort as they remain deprived of these in their life-times. Death merely frees their souls from the confines of their bodies and thus they get much-deserved rest. As Death provides rest and peace, he should be treated like a welcome friend, not an agent of terror.
Then, the poet tries to humble Death by saying that he is slave to “chance, kings and desperate men.” In other words, Death cannot act on his own. He is just an instrument in the hands of fate, powerful rulers and vicious persons. He acts on their call. The poet accuses Death of having low companions like poison, war and sickness. So Death cannot be called glorious or mighty in any way. Opium like intoxicants and magical charms can induce better sleep than death. So there is no reason for Death to be proud of his powers.
Death sends us to a short sleep after which we wake up in the other world eternally. Death has no power on us then. So it is not death that perishes us; it is rather death that perishes. When we wake up in eternity death will be no more.
Line Wise Explanation :
Lines 1-4
The poet intends to counter the common view that death is to be feared and revered as man is helpless and weak before it. In order to reverse this view the poet personifies it as a living being and addresses Death in an assertive tone at once.
The poet asks Death not to feel proud though some people regard him as powerful and dreadful. Actually. Death is weak and helpless. It is an allusion that Death has the power to kill one and all. Pitying Death, the poet says that Death has no such power. He does not kill anyone, nor it can kill him. It is so because Death cannot kill human soul which is deathless. Physical death occurs but it has no value. The poet here endorses the Christian theology of eternity. Even if you take my physical body. you can never truly kill me”.
Lines 5-8
In these lines the poet compares Death to rest and sleep. Just as a night of peaceful rest brings pleasure, so does Death. In other words, sleep is a short form of death, and nothing else, and vice versa. Death will bring only pleasure. The best men on the earth die soon. Death delivers their bodies and they have peace and rest which they do not experience in life due to hard work deprivations, pain and suffering.
Lines 9-12
The poet taunts Death by saying that it he is not independent as it has to take the help of something or somebody to function. It is slave to chance, kings and desperate men’. Chance or fate brings instant death. Kings and criminals can put an end to a man’s life instantly. In other words, Death has to strike using someone else’s power. It has low companions like poison, war and sickness. Poison, war and physical ailments are destructive. Death functions through these lowly agents.
Death, according to the poet, brings a little sleep, whereas some sleep-inducing agents like intoxicants like opium and magical charms can bring better sleep. The poet, therefore, questions Death as to why then it puffs up with pride, when he cannot even do its job as well as other sleep-inducing agents can.
Lines 13-14
Death, the poet asserts, is only one short sleep. Those who experience Death wakes up eternally. Only their bodies perish; their souls remain intact as they are beyond the power and ken of Death. Then in the other world, there will be no death, that is, Death itself dies. Thus, the poem ends on a paradox.
Workbook MCQs :
(i) Who have called death ‘mighty’ and ‘dreadful’?
(a) all the people
(b) some people
(c) weak persons
(d) the poet
Answer :- (b) some people
(iI) In what tone does the poet address death?
(a) humble
(b) assertive and accusative
(c) polite
(d) abusive
Answer :- (c) polite
(iII) Who die quite young, according to the poet?
(a) sick men
(b) poor persons
(c) excellent men
(d) artists
Answer :- (b) poor persons
(iV) Which of these statements is Not true?
(a) We should not fear death.
(b) Death is weak and helpless.
(c) Death does not act independently.
(d) Death leaves us only in grief.
Answer :- (c) Death does not act independently.
(v) Which of these is NOT compared to death in the poem ?
(a) rest
(b) sleep
(c) dream
(d) none of the above
Answer :- (d) none of the above
(vI) What does the poet want to convey?
(a) that man is very powerful
(b) that death should be ignored
(c) that our souls are eternal, and death cannot touch them
(d) when our bodies perish, our suffering ends
Answer :- (b) that death should be ignored
(vII) Death is welcome, according to the poem, as it:
(a) gives us rest and pleasure
(b) ends all our sorrows
(c) is very powerful
(d) is God’s agent
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(vIII) Which figure of speech is used in the line:
And death shall be no more death, thou shalt die.
(a) pun
(b) metaphor
(c) paradox
(d) simile
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(iX) The form of poem is basically
(a) a Shakespearian sonnet
(b) a Petrarchan sonnet
(c) a lyric
(d) an elegy
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(x) Which rhyme scheme is followed in the first twelve lines of the poem?
(a) abab
(b) abba
(c) aabb
(d) abcd
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Logic Based Questions :
(i) The poet seems to mock death because the people it thinks have been killed by it do not die in reality.
(iI) Death should not feel proud because it has no power to kill.
(iII) Death cannot touch our souls because souls are immortal.
(iV) Death cannot act independently because it is slave to kings, chance and desperate men.
(v) The poet calls death ‘poor’ because death is powerless and cannot destroy soul.
(vI) Fate, chance, kings and criminals are quite powerful as [ For Full Workbook Answers , Get The Full E-Book Access – View ]
(vII) Death is like a short sleep because [ For Full Workbook Answers , Get The Full E-Book Access – View ]
(vIII) The poet says death will die because [ For Full Workbook Answers , Get The Full E-Book Access – View ]
(iX) Our best men die young because [ For Full Workbook Answers , Get The Full E-Book Access – View ]
(x)The poet presents life after death as something desirable because [ For Full Workbook Answers , Get The Full E-Book Access – View ]
Short Answer Questions :
(i) Why does the poet ask death not to feel proud?
Answer :- In this poem, the writer mocks death and offers an unconventional view about death and the power of death. The speaker in the poem asks death not to be proud thinking that it had killed people. Death should not take pride in its power to take away life as the dead rise again and live an eternal life. Death is just like sleep and has no power to destroy human beings forever. Death is just like sleep which can be induced with the help of intoxicants like poppy. Death has no power to be proud of.
(iI) What makes the poet compare death to rest and sleep ?
Answer :- The poet asserts the view that death is like a short sleep. After sleep one feels fresh. In the same way death results in a renewed life in the form of our eternal living in heaven. As human beings get rest in sleep, death also becomes a kind of sleep that provides rest. The poet compares death to rest and sleep as sleep functions to refresh our body and death performs the same function.
(iII) Why does the poet think that death cannot act independently?
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(iV) ‘Death, thou shalt die’. Explain.
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(v) In what way can we call ‘Death, be not Proud’ a religious poem?
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Long Answer Questions :
(i) How does the poet try to prove that death is not something to be afraid of ?
Answer :- John Donne has presented a different view about death from the conventional belief about its power and strength. In the very beginning, the poet points out that death is neither powerful nor dreadful. He extends the argument to prove his point by saying that death cannot kill anyone. It is just like sleep that provides rest and pleasure. People affected by death do not die. The poet here suggests that death is like sleep and rest. One gets pleasure from sleep. If death is like sleep then how it can be dreadful. It is rather a source of rest and pleasure like sleep.
The poet asks us not to be afraid of death for another reason. Death cannot function independently. Death is a slave to death inducing factors like disease, orders of the kings to award capital punishment, and the people who commit suicide out of despair. One can easily deduce from this point of view that death is dependent on other factors and a kind of slave to them. Therefore one need not be afraid of it.
The ending of the poem in the form of a paradox ‘Death thou shalt die,” also presents a different view about death. It is not something to be feared. Death comes to an end with the soul wakening eternally after death which is like a short sleep. The eternal nature of soul leaves no scope for fear from death.
(iI) What leads the poet to conclude :
‘And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.’
Answer :- Death is often considered to be extremely powerful and dreadful. But the poet contests this view by offering different reasons and arguments. These arguments ultimately conclude that death no longer remains relevant and has to die. The eternal wakening of the soul marks the end of death.
The poet gives the thought that death is like rest and sleep. It comes to an end like sleep. When one gets up from sleep, the presence of sleep disappears. In the same way, one’s soul becomes eternal after death. The moment the soul rises eternity, the existence of death comes to an end. In a way, death itself dies because of the immortality of soul.
In the poem, the arguments and ideas that support the poet’s views about death highlight the powerlessness of death. These thoughts treat death like sleep which comes to an end after a short while. Death, according to the reasons offered by the poet, no longer remains relevant as soul is something eternal and immortal. It marks the end of death.
All the reasons and details about death, its nature and the way it functions make the poet conclude, “And death shall be no more, Death thou shalt die.”
(iII) Discuss ‘Death, be not Proud’ as a sonnet.
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(iV) In both approach and style ‘Death, be not Proud’ is an unconventional poem. Discuss with close reference to the text.
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