Death be not proud

Inspired by John Donne’s Sonnet 10 “Death be not proud”

Death be not proud

for all men must die

making you not a solitary throne

but a common destination.

Unwelcome you are, in every house you visit

Death, have you no home?

friendless you always are,

sitting on the greatest curse.

Hearts brought together under the stars and moon

strengthened by the sun and earth

are separated only at your call

Have you no heart, mighty death?

Have you never lived and loved?

For those who do, live forever

and death then dies an utter death

at the hands of love and mercy.

Everyone goes through you, fearful king

Oh! Death be not proud

you are only a part of life .

 

Arijit Roy

(Poem and Photograph)

 

 

Sonnet in Mind

Ozymandias is a sonnet by P B Shelley , sonnet is a poem of 14 lines  . The poet meets a traveller who informs him of a devastated statue of King Ramses II near the desert , which draws the irony in Ramses’s claim to eternity , for nothing remains of the statue  but the beauty of the sculptor’s art.

The current sonnet is written after re reading the poem (Ozymandias) after 5 years  and the memories it evokes of the initial reading with grandfather (the other old king ) , which survive due to the art of poet .

A fond memory comes flying

as I again read those fourteen lines

of deep philosophy from Shelley’s pen

who knew , it would be such a precious memory back then

Five years ago when the old king remained

I read aloud Ozymandias  to him in all its name

I have forgotten most now , what the book and the teacher had said

but the old king’s words still do ring in my head

“What if I say the traveller is time ” he asked

and his words opened the poem to me at last .

But today like Ramses , time has taken much from me

and all that I have left of my grandfather , are his words and this memory

and so those words will always remain with me , whenever I will read these lines

for the truth is that art alone can survive the test of time .

Arijit Roy

(Poem and photograph )