"Death Be Not Proud" John Donne?

Question:I have to write an essay based on "Death Be Not Proud" by John Donne in class, and I am really stuck. I need to know how the context is conveyed by the form. Such as alliteration, assonance, rhyme scheme, spelling, and meter.

Could anyone please explain the meter to me?
The variations in it?

Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then they stroake; why swell'st thou then;
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I have to write an essay based on "Death Be Not Proud" by John Donne in class, and I am really stuck. I need to know how the context is conveyed by the form. Such as alliteration, assonance, rhyme scheme, spelling, and meter.

Could anyone please explain the meter to me?
The variations in it?

Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then they stroake; why swell'st thou then;
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

The rhyme scheme it that of a sonnet, I'm sure.
ABBA ABBA CDD CEE (if die is pronounce dee to rhyme with eternally -I'm not familiar with the CDD CEE ending though)

rhyming poem of 14 lines, with ten syllables in each line.

iambic pentameter : ti-Tum-ti-Tum-ti-Tum-ti-Tum-ti-Tum

Line ending rhyme scheme
ABBA ABBA CDE CDE or CD CD CD

Sets out and develops a proposition, then provides a solution
or conclusion (octave and sestet)

The first line to be 10 syllables, you have to pronounce 'called' as 'call-ed'

alliteration - 3rd line Those, thou, think'st, thou, overthrow
6th line - much, (pleasure - alliteration) and also much, much more, must plus then from thee
stroake, swell'st, short, sleepe

assonance - pass (bones - soules?)

If you have all the spelling correct - then I would imagine the using of 'ie' as in deliverie must convey a different sound to eternally - mentioned above perhaps 'ly' used to be pronounced 'lie' as in lie down.
why e on the end of do and on the end of go - that makes them both say 'ow' - dow, gow

I'm tired now, you take over.

Death Be Not Proud is a poem denouncing the power of death. Death is only a character in the play, so to speak, and not a main one at that. He can not simply come and take a soul without aid, therefore he is a slave. Donne gives death it's own personality, to make Death seem more humble, as if he is just one of "us" and not a higher power, capable of being better or greater than anyone walking down the street.

Donne's attitude towards Death is one of belittlement as he insults Death's pride and attacks, or even mocks, the idea that it is fearsome and powerful at all. He personifies Death in order to berate it and point out that it is not as "Mighty and dreadful" as often believed to be. This is because he believes there is life after death and therefore there is nothing to be afraid of in dying.
The poem is ended with the paradox, "Death, thou shalt die." which suggests that Death is self defeating in it's sole purpose because after Death, Death is no more, in the sense that it is not present in the 'eternal afterlife'.
This text can be described as a "Christian Poem" because it describes how, after one "short sleep", "we wake eternally". The "short sleep" being the moment of death the eternal wake, an implication that there is life after death, and is a reference to the Christian idea of Heaven, and one's soul travelling there after death.