Donne wrote it boldly centuries ago,
“And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die,”
His numbers strident, confident, deny
The plague that bloomed around him. Apropos
In image and in strength, his words bestow
Faith on those who even now still sigh
Their griefs and seek a greater force, defy
Death’s ever-present, grimly steadfast show.
Although we count for less the force of rhyme
And look to prose to speak our deepest fears,
Our hearts still quicken, we draw a fearless breath
When someone reconfirms Donne’s ageless chime
And speaks again blunt confidence that sears:
“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”
Author notes
Modified Petrarchan sonnet with final hexametric line-substitution. Quoting John Donne, “Holy Sonnet X” and J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows .
A contest entry
- Be inspired by the quotes! by Beating.
450 points, ended December 28, 2007, 7 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
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Once again you show that structure and form are but the supports to carry the thoughts of the poet as he delivers his quota of meaning with prayers intact for the reader to hear what he is saying. The ache of time is the affliction of the very young or the elderly and makes us aware of the circle full come. Well done.
Peace & Light, Tom B.
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humm nicely done .... nice voca too. good luck in the contest for taking it a step further!!
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Thank you. It was more difficult than I expected it would be, much more challenging, and quite a bit more fun. An interesting set of prompts. I enjoyed your entry also. Thanks again for the comment.
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