Death, be not proud- John Donne (personification)

"Death, be not proud, though some have called thee/ Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so." PAGE 971

This poem personifies death. The speaker is speaking to death. He is trying to degrade death and its power to convince himself that death should not be feared. His argument would not be as strong without the personification because the personification makes it like he is actually talking to someone. The argument would lose strength if he was just giving himself reasons why death is not so bad. He is able to support his point stronger with personification. The speaker tells death that it should not be so proud and sure of itself because it is not all that. He points out that death is a slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men and that people sleep just as well with charms or poppy. He also refers to life after death and how that is better than life on earth so death is not that intimidating because people are going to be happier. The personification of death helps the speaker convince himself that death is not so bad even though the reader can tell in his argument that he is unsure.