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Essay / Donne and Edson: A Comparison
Existential dilemmas remain rooted in the human condition, where superficial evasions by intellectualizing such concerns are ultimately resolved by the universal values of humility and compassion within contextual constructs. In the face of death, the notion of spirit presents itself as a mechanism to conceal insecurities, mortal suffering allowing the edification of renouncing pride and forming genuine emotional bonds. Although composed in very different contexts, John Donne's 17th-century metaphysical poems and Margaret Edson's late 20th-century postmodern play W;t retain their importance in examining mortal fears to address the spiritual processes necessary to make accept death. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayIn an attempt to mask the pervasive fear of mortality, intellectualism allows individuals to gain a sense of control over immutable existential anxieties. Revered in the Age of Discovery, Donne's wit in his 17th-century poetry serves to endorse God's arbitrary judgment, arguing for the finality of death to offer comfort in the afterlife. In Death be not Proud, Donne circumvents death's capabilities through the condescending apostrophe in the metaphysical conceit of sleep, "Don't die, poor death and you can't kill me yet", describing death as a transition to the spiritual afterlife, overturning a long-held apprehension. towards human transience in Protestant writings. Donne reinforces the powerlessness of death in If Poisonous Minerals, engendering a veneer of pride through the argumentative structure of the biblical allusion, "if envious serpents cannot be damned", coupled with the rhetorical question "why should I be? denoting Donne's fear of damnation, implying that inherent human qualities should not prevent personal redemption. Likewise, despite being composed in a secular context, Edson's W;t explores how Vivian uses her academic prowess to conceal her impending demise during her grueling chemotherapy treatment. Parallel to Donne's intellectual façade is Vivian's ironic hyperbole describing how she knew "all about life and death." I am…a scholar of the Holy Sonnet of Donne,” shows how the theoretical understanding of death in her research-driven milieu hindered the ability to grasp the complexities of mortality as a tangible human emotion. Highlighting the use of intellectualism to mask deadly vulnerabilities, Vivian's repetition during the test: “I have a Ph.D. conveys the use of academia to perpetuate a sense of pride offsetting the fear of terminal illness. Therefore, the attempt to rationalize the abstract of death as a panacea for mortal suffering provides a temporary sense of patronizing certainty. Additionally, powerful confrontations with mortality force personal erasure, where an initial defense of arrogance is eroded by introspection, prompting later redemption. . Contextual Christian notions of suffering as penance are illustrated by Donne who argues for God's absolution in Hymn to God, my God, in my illness, through the allusion to Jesus, "by this his thorn, give me his other crown,” metaphorically representing the need to reconcile one’s sins through physical trials. Donne renounces all skepticism regarding death in This is my Playes Last Scene, through the apostrophe to God, "just impute me, thus purged from evil.