"Meditations XVII"
"No Man Is An Island"
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
--John Donne
I urge you to read great literature and share it with your loved ones.
Metaphysical poet and clergyman John Donne (1572-1631) was born to a prominent Roman Catholic family from London in 1572. Not a
healthy child, John Donne would lead a life plagued with illness.
Donne's father was a respected Roman Catholic who avoided unwelcome government attention out of fear of persecution. John's father died in 1576, when John was only four years old, leaving his son an orphan, and burdening his widow, Elizabeth Heywood, with the responsibility of raising their children.
Elizabeth was also from a recusant Roman Catholic family, the daughter of John Heywood, the playwright, and sister of the Reverend Jasper Heywood, a Jesuit priest and translator. She was a great-niece of the Roman Catholic martyr Thomas More. This tradition of martyrdom would continue among Donne’s closer relatives, many of whom were executed or exiled for religious reasons.
Dunn received a strong religious upbringing until his enrollment at the
University of Oxford at the age of 11.
After only three years at Oxford it is
believed that he transferred to the University of Cambridge for another three
years of study, never obtaining a degree at either college. It is believed he was denied a degree from either institution because of his Catholicism, since he could not take the Oath of Supremacy required of graduates.
Despite his great education and poetic talents, Donne lived in poverty for several years, relying heavily on wealthy friends. He spent much of the money he inherited during and after his education on womanising, literature, pastimes, and travel.
In 1590 John made a decision that would shape his life: he converted to Anglicanism.
Dunn didn't return to England until he had stayed some years, first in Italy, and then in Spain, where he made many useful observations of those countries, their laws and manner of government, and where he learned their languages.
He fell in love with seventeen year-old Anne More, niece of Sir Thomas Egerton. They were
clandestinely married just before Christmas in 1601, against the wishes of both Egerton and George More, who was Lieutenant of the Tower and Anne's father. Some months elapsed before Donne dared to break the news to the girl's father, by letter, provoking a violent response. More set out to get the marriage annulled
This wedding ruined Donne's career and earned him a short stay in Fleet Prison, along with Samuel Brooke, who married them, and the man who acted as a witness to the wedding. Donne was released when the marriage was proven valid, and he soon secured the release of the other two.
Donne lost his job in 1602 and did not find regular employment again until
he took holy orders more than twelve years later. And, it was not until 1609 that Donne was reconciled with his father-in-law and received his wife's dowry
Over the next few years, he scraped a meagre living as a lawyer, depending on his wife’s cousin Sir Francis Wolley to house him, his wife, and their children. Because Anne Donne bore a new baby almost every year, this was a very generous gesture.
His wife Anne bore John twelve children in sixteen years of marriage (including two stillbirths -- their eighth and then, in 1617, their last child); indeed, she spent most of her married life either pregnant or nursing. Three of the children (Francis, Nicholas, and Mary) died before they were ten.
In a state of despair that almost drove him to kill himself, Donne noted that the death of a child would mean one less mouth to feed, but he could not afford the burial expenses. During this time, Donne wrote, but did not publish, Biathanatos, his defense of suicide.
Anne died on 15 August 1617, five days after giving birth to their twelfth child, a still-born baby. Donne mourned her deeply, and wrote of his love and loss in his 17th Holy Sonnet.
In 1621 Donne was made Dean of St Paul's, a leading (and well-paid) position in the Church of England and one he held until his death in 1631. He earned a reputation as an eloquent preacher and 160 of his sermons have survived, including the famous "Death’s Duel" sermon delivered at the Palace of Whitehall before King Charles I in February 1631.
It is thought that Donne's final illness was stomach cancer, although this has not been proven. He died on 31 March 1631 having written many poems, most of which were circulated in manuscript during his lifetime.
It is thought that Donne's final illness was stomach cancer, although this has not been proven. He died on 31 March 1631 having written many poems, most of which were circulated in manuscript during his lifetime.
The Poem
"No Man Is An Island" comes from a series of meditations and prayers on health, pain, and sickness written while author John Donne was convalescing from a nearly fatal illness. In late November and early December 1623, he suffered a nearly fatal illness, thought to be either typhus or a combination of a cold followed by a period of fever.
These writings were published as a book in 1624 under the title Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, specifically "Meditation XVII." The title of Ernest Hemingway's novel For Whom the Bell Tolls is a reference to Donne's work.
The two interconnected themes of Donne's "Meditations XVII" are:
1. All people are mortal.
2.The lives of all people are interrelated and interconnected.
At the time of the Renaissance, the funeral bell was rung by the local church to announce the death of a person. At this time in history, life expectancy was low and medical treatment was elementary.
Of course, upon hearing the bell, people would wonder who had died. Might not some, especially the very ill, also be relieved the bell did not toll to announce their own demise? After all, due to his/her condition, the sick person could be the next to die from illness.
In this work, Donne considers how every person suffers from the passing of another life. For whom does "the bell toll"?
In "Meditations XVII," Donne meditates upon the sounding of a church bell signifying a funeral and connects it to his own present illness. He wonders if the person is aware that the bell has sounded for him. (Obviously, if someone is dead, he does not know and it is too late for him to meditate upon it.)
Donne underscores the theme of his "Meditation" that all humanity is one large unit created by God interconnected in meaningful creation. He uses a metaphor to illustrate the concept of the work of the Creator. The metaphor that he uses is that of an island. He asserts that...
Donne insists very human action affects the rest of humanity in some way. The church’s universality comes from God, who is in charge of all “translations” from earthly to spiritual existence which occur at death.
Donne asserts that even if a "clod" - a small piece of land - is washed away by the sea, the whole continent is affected. Here the continent of "Europe" represents the whole of humanity and the "clod" represents one human being. Thus, all humanity is affected by the death of any individual.
I believe the answer is "yes." This is a vital lesson for building human compassion and empathy. The indifference shown to those beyond family circles is a visible mark of a largely egotistical society. The individual conscience is often subjected to the somber, resounding tones of the "bell." How often do people respond to the message?
What a wonderful community we might build if everyone understood a little metaphysics and found clarity in the fundamental notions by which metaphyicists view the world such as the critical relation of existence, objects and their properties, space and time, cause and effect, and possibility. It seems to me that we all have an obligation to mourn those lost "clods" and take actions to "re-sod" the scars left behind.
Among some other interpretation and critique, thanks to http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-does-john-donne-mean-specifically-when-he-163675
"No Man Is An Island" comes from a series of meditations and prayers on health, pain, and sickness written while author John Donne was convalescing from a nearly fatal illness. In late November and early December 1623, he suffered a nearly fatal illness, thought to be either typhus or a combination of a cold followed by a period of fever.
These writings were published as a book in 1624 under the title Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, specifically "Meditation XVII." The title of Ernest Hemingway's novel For Whom the Bell Tolls is a reference to Donne's work.
The two interconnected themes of Donne's "Meditations XVII" are:
1. All people are mortal.
2.The lives of all people are interrelated and interconnected.
At the time of the Renaissance, the funeral bell was rung by the local church to announce the death of a person. At this time in history, life expectancy was low and medical treatment was elementary.
Of course, upon hearing the bell, people would wonder who had died. Might not some, especially the very ill, also be relieved the bell did not toll to announce their own demise? After all, due to his/her condition, the sick person could be the next to die from illness.
In this work, Donne considers how every person suffers from the passing of another life. For whom does "the bell toll"?
In "Meditations XVII," Donne meditates upon the sounding of a church bell signifying a funeral and connects it to his own present illness. He wonders if the person is aware that the bell has sounded for him. (Obviously, if someone is dead, he does not know and it is too late for him to meditate upon it.)
Donne underscores the theme of his "Meditation" that all humanity is one large unit created by God interconnected in meaningful creation. He uses a metaphor to illustrate the concept of the work of the Creator. The metaphor that he uses is that of an island. He asserts that...
"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less."So, Donne insists that when people hear the funeral bell announcing the death of a person they should be aware of its real significance: it is not merely announcing the death of a stranger but is actually announcing their own death...
"Each man's death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind."
Donne insists very human action affects the rest of humanity in some way. The church’s universality comes from God, who is in charge of all “translations” from earthly to spiritual existence which occur at death.
Donne asserts that even if a "clod" - a small piece of land - is washed away by the sea, the whole continent is affected. Here the continent of "Europe" represents the whole of humanity and the "clod" represents one human being. Thus, all humanity is affected by the death of any individual.
Isn't it so true that "the bell tolls for thee"?
I believe the answer is "yes." This is a vital lesson for building human compassion and empathy. The indifference shown to those beyond family circles is a visible mark of a largely egotistical society. The individual conscience is often subjected to the somber, resounding tones of the "bell." How often do people respond to the message?
What a wonderful community we might build if everyone understood a little metaphysics and found clarity in the fundamental notions by which metaphyicists view the world such as the critical relation of existence, objects and their properties, space and time, cause and effect, and possibility. It seems to me that we all have an obligation to mourn those lost "clods" and take actions to "re-sod" the scars left behind.
Among some other interpretation and critique, thanks to http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-does-john-donne-mean-specifically-when-he-163675
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