Italian sonnets typically have a twist in the closing couplet. What twist does the speaker bring into the closing couplet of John Donne's "Death Be Not Proud"?

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Shayna Wang

16 December, 03:33

Italian sonnets typically have a twist in the closing couplet. What twist does the speaker bring into the closing couplet of John Donne's "Death Be Not Proud"?

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Houston Oconnell · Answer 1

John Donne: Poems Summary and Analysis of Holy Sonnet 10, "Death be not ... sonnet form in that it is made up of three quatrains and a concluding couplet. However, Donne has chosen the Italian/Petrarchan sonnet rhyme scheme of abba for the first two quatrains, grouping them into an octet typical of the Petrarchan form.