No man is an island
John Donne
Background – About the poet
• 1572 - 1631
• English poet who was writing at the same time
as Shakespeare.
• He was one of the Metaphysical poets (a group
who were concerned with the questions of
existence and meaning).
• He is famous for his poems on love and religion
and for his use of powerful, original images.
Donne entered the world during a period of
theological and political unrest for both
England and France; a Protestant massacre
occurred on Saint Bartholomew’s day in France;
while in England, the Catholics were the
Summary of poem
• This poem teaches us that no person can exist entirely
on his/her own. We need people and support.
• Every person, no matter big or small, is important.
Title
• Metaphor
• Islands are pieces of landmass that are cut off from the
mainland surrounded by the sea.
• The title with the metaphor states that no person can
live without support from other humans, as mankind is
not a landmass able to survive on our own. We need
connection.
• The title is repeated throughout the poem – repetition
• The title is the beginning of the extended metaphor in
the poem.
Tone
• Calm
• Serious
• Reflective
• Confident
Themes
Inter-
connectedne Empathy and Equality and
ss of compassion community
humanity
Human Value Ubuntu
Setting
• Place: Universal – can be related to any person.
• Time: When the speaker considers the
importance of community and value of human
life.
• The speaker addresses all of humanity and
himself in this poem – to emphasise the natural
connection between human beings.
Structure
• Classified as a Sonnet BUT not in the traditional
sense as it has 13 lines, not 14.
• There is no specific rhyme scheme (unlike a
sonnet)
• It is said that the poet wrote this poem as a
sonnet but also challenged the traditional
structure of sonnet by not following the rules of a
sonnet.
Line 1: No man is an island,
Line 2: Entire of itself,
REPETITION OF TITLE
METAPHOR:
Mankind is said to NOT be an island – a
landmass that exists on its own. It emphasises TONE: Confident.
that humans cannot survive without The speaker
community and connection to others. wholeheartedly
believes his
Start of extended metaphor. statement is true.
Line 3: every man is a piece of the continent
Line 4: A part of the main.
METAPHOR CONTINUES:
People are compared to ALLITERATION:
being part of the land, Repetition of the p-sound,
emphasises that we are all emphasises that all of
connected. mankind is connected.
Continent / mainland
Lines 5-9-
A person who passes away is compared to
three different losses:
People you People you People who
Like a lump of soil into
when it sticks out of the
Like land that is eroded
If you or your friend’s
the sea
sea
house is destroyed.
do not do know, are very
know but losing close to
them will you
not touch
you as
deeply.
Line 5: If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Line 6: Europe is the less.
METAPHOR
LITERAL: If a small piece of soil falls Lump of earth.
into the sea, the literal continent can
become smaller.
FIGURATIVE: If one person is
removed from humanity (passes away)
the world will be poorer.
TONE:
Reflective, sombre
Line 7: As well as if a promontory were.
Line 8: As well as if a manor of thy friend’s
A point of high land that sticks
REPETITION + CONJUNCTION:
out of the sea – exposed to
Joins the three ideas of the impact
erosion (made smaller)
of the loss of a person.
METAPHOR: Progression: it is a greater loss
The loss of a person is compared than the clod if it becomes
to the loss of your smaller.
mansion/property. Property is
important, in the same way that
every person’s life is important. Your
Emphasises how connected we Mansion / large country
are. house.
Line 9: Or of thine own were:
Line 10: Any man’s death diminishes me,
Your
ALLITERATION: Colon:
Repetition of the d- Explanation follows
sound makes us reflect of why the speaker
on the impact of death. is weakened by any
person’s death –
Weakens the speaker. because we are all
Every person’s death connected.
has an effect on
everyone because we
are all connected.
Line 11: Because I am involved in mankind,
Line 12: And therefore never send to know for whom the bell
tolls;
He is affected by the
death of any person (as SYNECHDOCHE:
should we be) because Bells are part of church
we are all connected. – where funerals
happen. Symbolises
death.
DO not send to find out who
has died – we should know
because we are connected to
each other.
Line 13: It tolls for thee.
You
TWO possible meanings:
1. Death is inevitable
2. If you hear a knell, it rings for you
as we are all connected, therefore
when someone passes away, we
are all affected.
