The poem “Death, Be Not Proud” is addressed directly to death. Donne says that many consider death powerful, and it scares people. However, he compares it to a sleep brought on by “poppy or charms.” I think that the author makes this connection because he sees death as a short sleep between two lives.
The first life is earthly, and the other is the eternal afterlife. There, death becomes obsolete as a person cannot die again. It is interesting that Donne describes death as a “slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men.” I believe he implies that people are in control of death, which makes it powerless by itself. I liked this poem because it offers a different view of life and death and has a hopeful tone.
Further research on topic