couplet - two consecutive lines of verse that are joined by rhyme
Farewell, thou child of my right hand, and joy.pun - a word that has a double meaning, both of which are pertinent to the subject. In the lines below, exact means to obtain, which plays into the banking metaphor, but also means inflicted (death is inflicted by the plague), and means precise, which death is. You can't be "kind of dead." Thus, the word has triple meaning. In the second example, delivery means the soul is escorted from life, but also means "to be birthed," as the soul is in the afterlife.
My sin was too much hope of thee, loved boy;
- "On My First Son"
Ben Johnson
Seven years thou wert lent to me, and I thee pay,Apostrophe - I know we talked about this before, but apostrophe describes when the poet addresses someone dead, absent, or a personified object. Donne is talking to Death, and Johnson is talking to his dead son.
Exacted by thy fate, on the just day.
- "On My First Son"
Ben Johnson
And soonest our best me with thee do go,
Rest their bones, and soul's delivery.
- "Death Be Not Proud"
John Donne
"Death be not proud..."Inverted Word Order - usually, in the English language, sentences follow a patter...subject-verb-0bject (Mr. Malley taught the class). Poets mess with word order for effect and to add formality.
And soonest our best men with thee do go (Inverted (actual))
And soonest our best men go with thee (Regular)
Juxtaposition - an poet sets two contrasting elements next to each other to achieve effect. For example, the rage and misery of death along with the softness and innocence of Johnson's son creates sympathy in the reader.
I know we didn't talk about couplet or juxtaposition, but we will...so here's your introduction.
