what is no man is an island essay

John Donne: “No Man Is an Island” Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Humans are used to live and communicate with others creating social organizations and social groups. A human being is asocial creature needed interaction and communication with people like “me”. The statement and position of John Donne is correct because it reflects principles of social organization and control. The human being must engage others, develop relationships, accrue goodwill, and establish a system of support network resources.

In time of need, the individual must actively engage these social resources, seeking help and managing supportive exchanges. This process may require considerable social skill, skill that develops and gains sophistication slowly and with experience. The transactional nature of support processes represents another thread of continuity in social support over the life course (Neimeyer & Neimeyer 2002).

The development, maintenance, and engagement of support resources is an active process from the first to the last year of life. This is not to say that the person can always manage support resources effectively and with ease, but rather that the behavior of the focal person matters. Indeed, the skills required in dealing with support resources very likely show developmental continuity.

“No man is an island” because throughout the individual’s life, a person engages in an active appraisal of the social world, of relationships with support network members and of the supportive behavior in which they have engaged. The young personalities may be less articulate about this than is the college-educated adult, but the process whereby special attention or its absence, treats or broken promises, come to be appraised in terms of one person’s feelings for another begins very early (Myers, 2002). The assessment of social standing becomes a veritable obsession during adolescence. Adolescents may be more tolerant, encompass a broader range of data, develop more elaborate appraisals, and be less volatile informing them, but the basic process shows considerable continuity.

In short, although the details change, throughout his or her life the individual is engaged in appraising support resources and supportive behavior and in forming beliefs regarding the degree to which he or she is loved and cared for, respected and esteemed, and involved in a network of mutual obligation. The major functions are to provide supplementary assistance to the focal person in dealing with demands and achieving goals, to sustain feelings of being cared for and valued, and to sustain a sense of social identity and social location. “Conversely, lack or loss of interpersonal relationships leads to negative emotional experiences such as anxiety, depression, distress, loneliness, and feelings of isolation? (Carvallo and Gabriel 2006, p. 698).

Many research studies suggest that gender is irrelevant both to levels of support and to its effects on well-being. But quite a few studies find women advantaged when we focus on particular modes and/or sources of support, specifically, emotional support and friends (Kelly, 2002). Likewise, differences in support effects, when they are observed, tend to be specific with respect to cause, mode, and outcome although no clear pattern is yet evident. Future research will benefit from valid, reliable, and focused support measures.

No doubt questions regarding gender differences will be specific rather than general and will be explored within the context of social-role and sex-role factors thought to underlie gender effects. Among middle-class people, social support showed a direct effect on distress, regardless of stress level (that is, the number of life events experienced). That is, the data for the middle class were consistent with a direct model whereas those for the lower class indicated a buffer model. Carvallo & Gabriel (2006) stated: “We expected that after receiving feedback of future interpersonal success, high-dismissing individuals would experience higher levels of positive affect relative to lowdismissing individual” (p. 704).

Isolation and loneliness are not natural for a man. However, support from family and friends was significantly more important for men than for women in the prediction of both life satisfaction and depression. Support from colleagues was significantly more important for women than for men in the prediction of anxiety. The relative importance of work and non-work support for men and women suggested by these findings is contrary to both common opinion and some previous findings (Dumm, 2008). Their focus was high-school change, specifically, grades and attendance, peer self-concept, and scholastic self-concept.

Academic adjustment was associated with informal support for both boys and girls, whereas peer self-concept was associated with both informal and formal support among boys, but neither among girls. Thus the higher informal support reported by girls (noted earlier) was less beneficial than that available to boys (Dumm, 2008).

Social loneliness results from the lack of a network of social relationships and is associated with boredom and depression. In contrast, emotional loneliness results from the absence of a close and intimate attachment to another person and is associated with a sense of isolation and anxiety. The evidence for these propositions is qualified. There is an example of how support might be linked to psychological distress in a more particular manner than is evident in current research.

First, regarding the view that people are especially independent and reluctant to seek help from others, a qualitative finding is relevant. In a small sample of families, Dumm (2008) found that half the women, but all the men, showed a negative network orientation: an unwillingness to utilize support resources because of mistrust, independence, or beliefs that others cannot provide help. This posture toward others, it is argued, impedes the growth, maintenance, and use of support resources with adverse effects on well-being.

The authors note that regularized patterns of social conflict as well as support are evident in the social networks and that these differed by gender. The gender differences are modest but consistent. Especially for women, the “classically integrative institutions” of family, work, and support networks also contain significant elements of friction.

Social support variables included the number of extended kin in the community and extended kin and nonkin support resources (those who would help with various problems) (Higdon, 2004). For instance, none of these support variables showed evidence of buffering the effects of either life events or chronic stressors, and only kin support resources showed an association with lower depression. Though, younger women reported particularly high levels of depression and of kin support resources. Further analyses showed no direct or buffer effects for either younger or older women and only one buffer effect for men. Those with more extended kin resources were affected relatively less by life events.

Investigation of gender differences in social network precursors of loneliness, Stokes and Levin (1986) found that social network factors, particularly density, were better predictors of loneliness in men than women. In a second study, they explored the density finding further, focusing on same-sex friends. Findings indicated that more interconnected, cohesive social networks are associated with lower loneliness for men but not for women. These studies suggest a greater importance for certain social network factors for men than women, at least with respect to loneliness (Howard, 2005).

Critics suggest that the forming of a bond of attachment is programmed into the baby for sound biological reasons. People who stay close to another person are likely to benefit from an umbrella of protection against an environment which can be very harsh both in climate and predators. Therefore, people who have a trait to attach themselves to society stand a good chance of reaching maturity, and passing on their genes into the next generation, genes for the attachment trait. In that case, failure to form a bond in infancy, or the disruption of a bond, would be counter to the baby’s natural tendency, and as a result might have dire social, psychological and physical consequences (Cacioppo and Patrick, 2008).

“No man is an island” as there is an approach in which it makes sense that the person should attach himself to a parent is that the reward of love to the caring adult is likely to encourage her to return love and take the baby under her wing. I use the feathered metaphor here for good reason. The sociobiologists have demonstrated a primitive form of attachment in geese. He observed that shortly after hatching, the chicks would follow the parent wherever she went. This has implications for the survival of the chicks, so he wondered whether this tendency was innate.

The chicks could not have a perfect image of their parent programmed into their brains from birth, so Lorenz wondered instead if they are programmed to attach themselves to the first conspicuous moving thing they see. This would almost certainly be the parent. Such experiences in themselves could be disturbing to the people, over and above the separation. Consequently, perhaps the particular circumstance of separation is the factor which gives rise to permanent emotional damage, and not so much the mere fact of separation. Clearly separation is traumatic for a person, but there is scope for emotional repair when normal family life resumes in many cases (Carvallo and Gabriel 2006).

People dot suffer from anxiety for obvious reasons. Instead, they suffer from ostracism. Critics claimed that girls believe that they have already been castrated in order to account for the difference between their own physiology and their brothers’ (Hawkley et al 2009). This causes a similar kind of anxiety and makes the girl hate the parent, but eventually identifies with her in order to get attention and favor from her father. The moral ideals of the parents, as perceived by the person, are assimilated into the personality as the appropriate moral code. The superego may place strain on the personality, since its values are usually unrealistic.

However, it has the benefit of making the person considerate of others, and thus enables her to enter society as a conscientious and caring individual. Because of this, the personalities can move beyond the bounds of the family, and enter school and other institutions as a socialized person. In their study, Hawkley et al (2008) explain that: “Social control differences may explain lower activity levels in lonely individuals. Social control theory holds that internalized obligations to, and the overt influence of, network members tend to discourage poor health behaviors and encourage good health behaviors” (p. 354).

Attachment bonds, developed in early age, take various forms, and researchers have found it useful to place these forms into three broad categories. ‘Secure attachment’ is evident in approximately 50 to 67 % of parents’ relationships in industrialized countries. Researchers give the following example: when the parent returns to the room, following a short absence, the baby will often provide an overt display of delight at her return. The small person will smile, laugh, wave, and crawl towards her. If the parent picks him up, he will smile, kiss, hug and sink into her body. He will never act aggressively, pushing away, biting, hitting or squirming (Over and Carpenter 2009).

The unsocially attached person seems susceptible to temper tantrums, throwing toys and hitting the parent. In the strange situation, when left alone with a stranger, these people are less likely to display overt anxiety, yet clearly are anxious since measures of heart rate show increase consistent with an anxiety experience. When the parent returns, the small child might avoid her, or move towards her but move away again without making any physical contact.

The study made by Over and Carpenter (2009) suggests that: “Results showed that children primed with ostracism imitated the actions of a model significantly more closely than children not primed with ostracism. Interestingly, however, children in the two conditions did not differ in their tendency to turn on the light – every child did, or attempted to do this” (p. F5). Sex-role identity is the part of our personality which is responsible for our sex-appropriate behavior.

Some behaviors stereotypically defined as male might be drinking beer, playing football, swearing, wearing trousers, smoking cigars or a pipe, flattering women, being decisive, being aggressive. Some stereotypical female sex-appropriate behaviors might be wearing lipstick, sewing, being unassertive, being emotional, wearing dresses, drinking cocktails, flirting with men, being defenseless, being submissive. Social learning approach makes a good deal of common sense. If people witness aggressive behavior, then that behavior will become legitimized to the person by the very fact that there is now a precedent for it (Over and Carpenter 2009).

In sum, the statement by John Donne is true as a man cannot live in isolation from society. As noted above, throughout a person’s life, other people help with services, information, money, or advice when there are needed to deal with a stressor or to achieve a goal. To a greater or lesser degree, they express caring, affection, and respect for the person; they help him maintain a sense of who he is and where he belongs.

Cacioppo, J. T., Patrick, W. 2008, Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection. W.W. Norton & Co.

Carvallo, M., Gabriel, Sh. 2006, No man Is an Island: The Need to Belong and Dismissing Avoidant Attachment Style. Personal Social Psychological Bulletin ; 32 (1), p. 697.

Dumm, Th. 2008. Loneliness as a Way of Life . Harvard University Press

Hawkley, L. C. Thisted, R. A., Cacioppo, J. T. 2009. Loneliness Predicts Reduced Physical Activity: Cross-Sectional & Longitudinal Analyses. Health Psychology American Psychological Association 28 (3), pp. 354–363

Higdon, Juliet. 2004. From Counselling Skills to Counsellor: A Psychodynamic Approach (Paperback). Palgrave Macmillan.

Howard, Susan. 2005. Psychodynamic Counselling in a Nutshell . Sage Publications Ltd, November.

Kelly, G. A. 2002. The psychology of personal constructs . New York: Norton.

Myers, David G. 2002. Psychology . Hope College. Worth Publishers, Holland, Michigan. Fourth edition.

Neimeyer, R. A. & Neimeyer, G. J. (Eds.) 2002. Advances in Personal Construct Psychology . New York: Praeger.

Over, H., Carpenter, M. 2009. Priming third-party ostracism increases affiliative imitation in children. Developmental Science 12 (3), pp F1–F8

• Newspaper Accounts of First Nations People
• Empirical Project: Social Networks and Lyme Disease
• “The Sunne Rising” and “The Flea” Poems by John Donne
• Comparison of Shakespeare’s and Donne's Works
• Comparing John Donne's and Shakespeare's Sonnets
• Contemporary Communication in Modern Society
• Communication Skills in Human Life
• Social Work Effective Communication
• “What Women Want” from Sociological Perspective
• Communication and Gender: Management Communications With Technology Tools
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, November 8). John Donne: "No Man Is an Island". https://ivypanda.com/essays/john-donne-no-man-is-an-island/

"John Donne: "No Man Is an Island"." IvyPanda , 8 Nov. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/john-donne-no-man-is-an-island/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'John Donne: "No Man Is an Island"'. 8 November.

IvyPanda . 2021. "John Donne: "No Man Is an Island"." November 8, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/john-donne-no-man-is-an-island/.

1. IvyPanda . "John Donne: "No Man Is an Island"." November 8, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/john-donne-no-man-is-an-island/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "John Donne: "No Man Is an Island"." November 8, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/john-donne-no-man-is-an-island/.

No Man Is an Island Summary & Analysis by John Donne

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

John Donne's "No Man is an Island" is about the connection between all of humankind. Donne essentially argues that people need each other and are better together than they are in isolation, because every individual is one piece of the greater whole that is humanity itself. The paragraph isn't actually a poem but a famous excerpt from Donne's Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions . Written in 1623 when Donne was in the grips of a serious illness, the Devotions examine what it means to be a human being and the relationship between humanity and God. Each of this book's 23 sections features a "Meditation," "Expostulation," and "Prayer." This particular segment comes from the 17th "Meditation."

• Read the full text of “No Man Is an Island”

The Full Text of “No Man Is an Island”

1 No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a

2 piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod

3 be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well

4 as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy

5 friend's or of thine own were; any man's death

6 diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and

7 therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;

8 it tolls for thee.

“No Man Is an Island” Summary

“no man is an island” themes.

Human Connection

• See where this theme is active in the poem.

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “No Man Is an Island”

No man is an island, entire of itself;

every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;

if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were;

any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind,

and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

“No Man Is an Island” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

Alliteration.

• See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

“No Man Is an Island” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Entire of itself
• Send to know
• See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “No Man Is an Island”

Rhyme scheme, “no man is an island” speaker, “no man is an island” setting, literary and historical context of “no man is an island”, more “no man is an island” resources, external resources.

The Poem Out Loud — Listen to a live reading by musician P.J. Harvey.

Donne's Life and Work — Learn more about Donne's life story via the Poetry Foundation.

Donne and Death — A podcast discussing the poet's attitude towards mortality. 

The 17th Meditation — Check out the longer Meditation in which this famous excerpt appears.

Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions — Explore the full text of the book in which this famous paragraph appears, written by Donne during a period of sickness (and recovery). 

LitCharts on Other Poems by John Donne

A Hymn to God the Father

Air and Angels

A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning

A Valediction: Of Weeping

Elegy V: His Picture

Holy Sonnet 10: Death, be not proud

Holy Sonnet 14: Batter my heart, three-person'd God

Holy Sonnet 1: Thou hast made me, and shall thy work decay?

Holy Sonnet 6: This is my play's last scene

Holy Sonnet 7: At the round earth's imagined corners

Hymn to God My God, in My Sickness

Song: Go and catch a falling star

The Apparition

The Canonization

The Good-Morrow

The Sun Rising

The Triple Fool

To His Mistress Going to Bed

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

For Whom the Bell Tolls/No Man is an Island

By John Donne

In ‘For Whom the Bell tolls,’ John Donne explores themes of life, death, and the human condition. He suggests that no man is an “island.”

He was the best of the metaphysical poets and is remembered for his skill with conceits.

Poem Analyzed by Emma Baldwin

B.A. English (Minor: Creative Writing), B.F.A. Fine Art, B.A. Art Histories

Donne addresses humanity, asking everyone to reconsider how they perceive themselves and their relationship to everyone else. Donne creates a mood and tone that are contemplative and thoughtful, while direct enough to clearly convey the major themes of ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls.’

Log in or join Poetry + to access Poem Printable PDFs.

Explore For Whom the Bell Tolls/No Man is an Island

• 2 Structure
• 3 Poetic Techniques
• 4 Detailed Analysis

‘For Whom the Bell Tolls/No Man is an Island’ by John Donne is a short, simple poem that addresses the nature of death and the connection between all human beings.

Donne begins by addressing the impossibility of solitude. “No man,” he says, is an island. All people are connected to one another. So much so that any loss is important. He extends the metaphor to compare the loss of a human being to the loss of a segment of a continent. This emphasis on interconnectivity is continued in the next lines. The poem turns, the poet addresses himself, and he asks that when the bell tolls one should not worry who it is tolling for. It is tolling for everyone. A single person’s death is like the death of everyone.

‘ For Whom the Bell Tolls/No Man is an Island ’ by John Donne is a fourteen-line sonnet that does not follow either of the standard sonnet forms, Petrarchan or Shakespearean. The rhyme scheme is scattered with a few distinct end rhymes like “sea,” “me,” and “thee”. Donne also chose not to use a specific metrical pattern. The lines vary in length, a feature that is unusual for a sonnet.  

There is a distinctive turn, or volta , towards the end of the poem. Donne changes narrative perspectives and addresses his own position in the world. He also addresses the listener, asking that they change their understanding of what it means to be human.

Poetic Techniques

Donne makes use of several poetic techniques in ‘ For Whom the Bell Tolls/No Man is an Island ’. These include but are not limited to enjambment , metaphor, and anaphora . The latter, anaphora, is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of multiple lines, usually in succession. This technique is often used to create emphasis. A list of phrases, items, or actions may be created through its implementation. For example, “As well as if a” which begins lines seven and eight. As well as “For” which starts two lines in the sestet .  

Another important technique commonly used in poetry is enjambment. It occurs when a line is cut off before its natural stopping point. Enjambment forces a reader down to the next line, and the next, quickly. One has to move forward in order to comfortably resolve a phrase or sentence. For example, the transitions between lines eight and nine as well as twelve and thirteen.

A metaphor is a comparison between two, unlike things that do not use “like” or “as” is also present in the text. When using this technique a poet is saying that one thing is another thing, they aren’t just similar. In this poem, Donne uses a metaphor to depict human relationships to landmasses and the bell tolling to death.

Detailed Analysis

No man is an island, Entire of itself. Each is a piece of the continent, A part of the main.

In the first lines of ‘ For Whom the Bell Tolls/No Man is an Island ’ the speaker begins with a clear and memorable opening line. He states that “No man is an island”. No single person is entirely separate from the rest of the world. Every human being is part of a whole. Donne transitions into one of the metaphorical conceits for which he is well-known. He compares human beings, their connection to one another and the rest of the world, to landmasses that are part of a continent. They are all “part of the main”.  

If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. As well as if a promontory were. As well as if a manor of thine own

In the next quatrain , the conceit is continued. In these lines he adds onto it, saying that if the continent lost anything, from a “promontory” to a “clod,” or a “manor” that it would be less. This is relating back to human beings and how every loss, or death, is an injury to the whole. Humans are interconnected with one another and can therefore not afford to be flippant with one another’s lives.  

Lines 9-14  

Or of thine friend’s were. Each man’s death diminishes me, For I am involved in mankind. Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.

In the sestet, of the final six lines of the sonnet, Donne adds onto the statements he made previously by noting that not only “your” loss is meaningful but also “thine friends”. Everyone is injured when one person is.  

The poem then transitions into first-person where the poet addresses himself and his connection to “mankind”. He speaks of “Each man’s death” as diminishing him. He is “involved” in the workings of humankind.  

The last three lines directly address death and what it means when a new death comes to pass. He uses the image of a church bell tolling to symbolize death. When it rings, he says to the listener, do not ask “For whom” it tolls because it “tolls for” you. Whenever anyone dies, it is like everyone has died.  

Log in or join Poetry + to access all PDF Resources for this Poem, and more .

Home » John Donne » For Whom the Bell Tolls/No Man is an Island

About Emma Baldwin

Join the poetry chatter and comment.

Exclusive to Poetry + Members

Join Conversations

Share your thoughts and be part of engaging discussions.

Expert Replies

Get personalized insights from our Qualified Poetry Experts.

Connect with Poetry Lovers

Build connections with like-minded individuals.

Hafez the renowned Iranian poet has these beautiful poems to say:  Human beings are members of a whole In creation of one essence and soul

If one member is afflicted with pain  Other members uneasy will remain

If you’ve no sympathy for human pain The name of human you cannot retain 

That is pretty!

Thank you, Emma! This helped me get a little more clarity on this poem for my test. I had no idea how to write an analysis so with this example I can now write my own.

Emma will be delighted she was able to help.

Dear Emma – This is not a poem! ‘Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions’ (1624) is a long prose work consisting of 23 tripartite sections (meditation-expostulation-prayer) chronologically recounting the course of a serious illness that nearly killed Donne. ‘No man is an Iland’ is the first phrase of Meditation 17. For Donne’s actual sonnets, see for example ‘Batter My Heart, Three-Person’d God’ or ‘Death Be Not Proud’.

Thank you. This is really interesting – although could open a much wider debate about what a poem is! For instance, I have seen a shopping list that was a poem.

What was the shopping list?

I can’t remember but I’m fairly confident it included avacodos!

I can’t remember but I’m fairly confident it included avocados!

This is not a sonnet. It is not a poem. This is an extract from “XVII Meditation,” with the words arbitrarily arranged as if it were a poem. Donne did write sonnets, but this is part of a magnificent prose composition, Nunc lento sonitu dicunt, morieris, from Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, 1624.

Wow, that is impressive knowledge there. Thank you for sharing with us.

Oh yeah, tell my teacher that. If its not a poem y are we learning it?!

There are many facets to the English language, my friend.

It’s really not a poem, though—there’s no debate to be had. It’s disingenuous to present it as such, with line breaks etc.

At the risk of sounding contentious – define a poem! Because many great poets have tried and their definitions are nebulous at best! However, I am playing devil’s advocate.

Emma and Lee are just trying to help those of us without Bachelors in English to understand something better. Your comments telling them it’s not a “poem” really doesn’t help or impress anyone.

I mean, I never would have said that. But I’m deeply amused that you did. Thanks!

Access the Complete PDF Guide of this Poem

Poetry+ PDF Guides are designed to be the ultimate PDF Guides for poetry. The PDF Guide consists of a front cover, table of contents, with the full analysis, including the Poetry+ Review Corner and numerically referenced literary terms, plus much more.

Get the PDF Guide

Experts in Poetry

Our work is created by a team of talented poetry experts, to provide an in-depth look into poetry, like no other.

Cite This Page

Baldwin, Emma. "For Whom the Bell Tolls/No Man is an Island by John Donne". Poem Analysis , https://poemanalysis.com/john-donne/for-whom-the-bell-tolls/ . Accessed 5 August 2024.

Help Center

Request an Analysis

(not a member? Join now)

Poem PDF Guides

PDF Learning Library

Beyond the Verse Podcast

Poetry Archives

Poetry Explained

Poet Biographies

Useful Links

Poem Explorer

Poem Generator

[email protected]

Poem Solutions Limited, International House, 36-38 Cornhill, London, EC3V 3NG, United Kingdom

Download Poetry PDFs Guides

Complete Poetry PDF Guide

Perfect Offline Resource

Covers Everything Need to Know

One-pager 'snapshot' PDF

Offline Resource

Gateway to deeper understanding

‘No Man Is An Island’, Meaning & Context

People usually think that the phrase ‘No man is an island’ comes from Shakespeare, as it sounds like it is one of Shakespeare’s many famous lines . It also sounds as though it may have come from the Bible. There are hundreds of quotations similarly mistaken as Shakespeare’s , such as “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” that comes from a Restoration play, The Mourning Bride by William Congreve

‘No man is an island’ is an idiom taken from a 17th century sermon by the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral. The Dean happened to be John Donne , a clergyman who now, almost four hundred years later, is regarded as one of the greatest English poets.

It is often assumed that ‘no man is an island’ is from one of Donne’s poems: it’s ironic that though he is the author of some of the finest and most memorable verses in English poetry, this phrase, not from a poem, but a sermon, is the most famous quote from him.

Here is the full John Done quote from his sermon:

“No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

No man is an island

Background to John Donne’s ‘No man is an island’ sermon

The words ‘No man is an island’ were embedded in a deeply Christian sermon about how human beings are connected to each other, and how important that connection is for the wellbeing and survival of any individual. When you hear the church bell tolling for someone who has died, don’t ask who it is, Donne says, just know that it’s tolling for you too because you are part of the same society and the death of anyone takes a part of your own life away.

The sermon is noted, not just for ‘no man is an island,’ but also the phrase ‘for whom the bell tolls,’ which was used by Ernest Hemingway as the title of his most famous novel.

John Donne and the development of English poetry

As Shakespeare was nearing the end of his playwriting career there was a new poetry taking hold in English. It was written by poets who were not professional writers but highly educated men who had careers in other areas like the Church, business, diplomacy, and the military.

Their poetry reflected their education and they used the latest developments in science, geography, astronomy, etc. to make their imagery: their poems had a strong intellectual component. Shakespeare himself, never for a moment one of the many poets who became old-fashioned in the face of the new poetry, became a part of this poetic development, which we now call ‘ metaphysical poetry ’ and the poets “the metaphysical poets,”. In fact, some of Shakespeare’s verse in his poems and plays were models for the metaphysical poets.

The metaphysical poets did not regard their poetry writing as meaning that they were “poets” in the sense that men like John Milton and Edmund Spencer were – they were busy men in their own fields who wrote poems more as a hobby, not publishing them but passing them around to friends who also wrote poems. In that way, they influenced each other. Looking at their poems now there are striking similarities, which amounts to their being a ‘school’ of poetry – ‘ the metaphysical poets .’

When we look back now at the metaphysical poets John Donne is, without doubt, the best of them. His poems are powerful and beautiful, mainly about love, but becoming some of the most powerful religious poems like his sonnets ‘Batter my heart three person’d God,’ ‘At the round earth’s imagined corners blow your trumpets angels’ and ‘Death be not proud, though some have called you mighty and dreadful’.

That development from love to religious poetry reflects Donne’s career and personal development. He trained as a lawyer then embarked on a life of adventure as a soldier and explorer, becoming well known as a man about town, popular with women. He settled down at the age of 25 as a high-level secretary, where he fell in love with his wealthy employer’s niece Anne More. He married her secretly, which enraged her uncle: the couple had to disappear. Donne wrote a small verse to describe their plight: “ John Donne, Anne Donne, Undone .”

The pair went to London where Donne eked out a meager living until he was elected to parliament in 1602. In the 16 years of their marriage, Anne gave birth to 12 children, dying during the birth of the twelfth.

After several years as a member of parliament, Donne converted from Catholicism to Anglicanism, took holy orders, and entered the church, eventually becoming the Dean of St Pauls, where he wrote and delivered a great number of wonderful sermons.

His sermons, as powerful as his poems, are full of lines and ideas that indicate an intense life, profound thoughts, and a strong sense of humour. Some other famous lines from his sermons are:

“When one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language”

“And who understands? Not me, because if I did I would forgive it all.”

“Death is an ascension to a better library”

“Reason is our soul’s left hand, faith her right. By these we reach divinity”

“He that hath all can have no more.”

Of all of John Donne’s quotes – from his sermons and poetry, “No man is an island” stands apart as the most perfect expression of an individual’s position in relation to society.

• Pinterest 1

amazing job

Is the translation of “Manor” in Donne’s original to “manner” correct? He didn’t mean “Manor” as a piece of land with houses and farms?

“if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Manor of thy friends or of thine owne were”

A clod of earth is a small part of the fields that comprise an estate, or Manor… So I think you are altogether correct to think Donne is speaking of the importance of a seemingly insignificant part of the whole. Thanks and well done.

Your’s is a question answered by context…. which inarguably confirms “manor” relates to one’s homestead, estate, or property.

Who said or wrote:

“Man. man, one can not live entirely without pity”

although I have always been an outsider, even in childhood not belonging to the places I lived as I had moved around since age 9yr old, since may 2001 I have lived a very secluded life almost a recluse most of the time. I saw people for an hour and a half some days. but they didn’t talk to me often. I had very little contact with those I saw in the self-help place I went to for help around problems I had. That became a way of life for me and became the only place I went where humans were. most kept back from me there. And I was told they all hated me. I never knew them. And the family grew up left home got their own lives and got busy and had very little time to spare to see me. and some families lived far away. for personal reasons I didn’t want to get involved with the men who asked, in the past 22 years, I have had very little involvement with men, I was lonely at first for a few years, however, I became used to it, I broke through the loneliness barrier. learned to enjoy my own company. However I found that my mental health was getting worse and worse, though I had no feeling of loneliness, I was becoming crazy in my mind. somewhat like tom Hank in the movie where he is shipwrecked on a desert island and has only a football to talk to. isolation. recently I went back to the old church that I had been in when I was a young woman. and my mental health has improved, the love of the brothers and sisters there is like no other love I have ever known before, the acceptance. I have not known before. I am still having a bit of a problem with mixing in due to the prolonged isolation I have lived in. but I am improving slowly. i know what it feels like to be an island.

What a fascinating, sad, yet heart-warming journey you’ve had. Stay encouraged and keep pressing forward sister.. Life is difficult but also brings wonderful triumphs.

You speak very eloquently; as if you are a poet. I can relate to your anguish and I sincerely wish I could express myself as you do… I greatly admire your ability to express yourself. That being said… some food for thought: Life is a series of challenges… those challenges are more difficult for those of us who think differently. I truly believe there are few things we can change in life; however, the most life-changing innate power we possess is the ability to change our thoughts… and thereby change our lives. Wishing you nothing but peace and contentment… what true happiness is. ❤️

I’m glad for you, sister. I know what it’s like to be an outsider too. Thank God for true friends!

It’s noteworthy that John Donne speaks of ‘Europe’ not ‘England’.

Leave a Reply

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Solved Answers
• CBSE Prose XII
• Anglo Saxon Literature
• Pablo Neruda
• Rudyard Kipling
• Maya Angelou
• Matthew Arnold
• William Blake
• William Butler Yeats
• William Shakespeare
• William Wordsworth
• Rabindra Nath Tagore
• Robert Browning
• Robert Frost
• Indonesian High School Poems
• Indonesian University Poems

No Man is an Island Meaning, Summary and Analysis by John Donne

The phrase “No man is an island (unto himself)” has percolated into popular parlance, and the suggestive thought of man’s interconnectedness overruling the dictum of his individuality (or even insularity) is hardly a new thought for us. But in the Elizabethan age when John Donne had composed the meditation “No Man Is An Island”, the poem is structured in a peculiar fashion such that the resultant effect on reading it is not merely a realization of the universal humanity Donne is hinting at. Instead, it is the lifecycle of each mortal being, being propelled towards his inevitable death, and even God’s schemes which undermine that imagined community of men. Rather than being dismissed as a utopia, the meditation stresses the urgency of how man thrives in the company of his fellow human beings, and how he is but an insignificant component of the entire scheme, equipped with his own intrinsic set of functionalities and dispensations in the world-order.

Any individual human being, contrary to any antagonistic opinion he might be entitled to, cannot extricate himself from the rest of the living, breathing cosmic continuum and pretend to be complete of its own positionality, of the integrity of its stance. It is implausible for one man to grow and thrive in society without the love and affection of his fellow-citizens. Likening the isolated and insular man to an island, Donne insists how the individual is but a component of the larger mass of humanity, the “continent”, and can only exist in conjunction with the world outside.

The use of the island conceit here is effective in tracing the loci of human lives as bound with empty, endless seas (symbolic of trials, tribulations, perils, frustrations and such) as well as in proximity to other islands. The man is born to live out his life in the companion of other men, exposing his perceptions and insights to the adversities of an unfamiliar world, which he is an integral part of, and which also appears within the microcosm of the individual. The myth of self-sufficiency which has long been propagated for the “western man” as a master of nature as well as of the self is demolished at the very onset of the meditation.

Land, when eroded by the sea, simultaneously diminishes the size of the landmass in itself. The European continent, which has been alluded to here, also incidentally is nothing more than a vast island adrift in the breast of tremendous oceanic bodies and tectonic plates, yet which is also constituted by its variegated and innumerable populace. The loss of the individual eventually amounts to a diminution of the collective; the macrocosm is never entirely insulated from the ongoings of the microcosmic. The promontory jutting out of the sea is as exposed to the vagaries and scruples of destruction by the forces of the sea and the wind, as much as man is susceptible to the bereavement of what he holds near and dear. The poet might be condemning the superfluousness of the materialistic life in stating that the loss of a friend’s manor (or the

The promontory jutting out of the sea is as exposed to the vagaries and scruples of destruction by the forces of the sea and the wind, as much as man is susceptible to the bereavement of what he holds near and dear. The poet might be condemning the superfluousness of the materialistic life in stating that the loss of a friend’s manor (or the subjects own) might be a devastating loss of personal property for the owner concerned, but that equivalent importance must be attached by each one of us onto every singular person who forms a part of the world we too construct and inhabit.

Under these circumstances, any death of any one man cannot, for the narrator, be held as being circumscribed within the immediate family. The death of any one man sends out a ripple onto the world, which is diminished by his “deletion”, and the poet sees that as a tragedy for the human race. The “involvement” with mankind that Donne projects onto the narratorial voice is his and it is a politically charged commitment to humanity that is being propounded here. The personal is political and vice versa and boundaries can only sustain differences so far.

The death of a man does not signal the arrestation of that chapter in the book if life at all is to be perceived as a book penned down by the authoriality of the Divine Providence, but rather prepares the ground for the conversional transcendence of that chapter in his life. The bell which tolls in silent remembrance of the deceased is there to remind all of us that it is our loss. The collective “thee” refers to the unified race of humanity across all divisions and prescriptions of race, gender and so on, and resonates with the chiming of the bells.

The wholly isolated individual derides or is forgetful of the fact of his socially encoded existence, and of the many principles and ideas flowing in him, which are but regurgitated reproductions of ideas which have originated in the community of his brethren. There are a conspicuous exchange and transaction amongst all men, an organic connectedness which vibrates with life and vitality.

The eternal flux of human emotions can be imagined as a drama unfolding amidst the colossal sea underlying the scattered islands of human achievements. The individual, when attempting to discern his unique place in the world, cannot set up more lines of division than there already prevails.  Cognizance of this oneness, of the commonality of what we all share in our identities and behaviors, can help combat the woes inflicted by the reality of mortality. Only death is capable of truly extricating one person from another, but even then, the deceased are never forgotten, and the saga continues to grow.

With no man existing unto himself, the suffering caused by singular deaths is shared by many, and by empathizing with the other’s grievance, the individual can also be awakened into the greater truth of his oneness. There is also a responsibility that accompanies the act of claiming emotional ties to other persons, and human beings can learn from the sufferings and experiences of their fellow brethren to better prepare themselves for their own deaths, which as was surely the belief in contemporary circulation, a transliteral migration to another world.

Some online learning platforms provide certifications, while others are designed to simply grow your skills in your personal and professional life. Including Masterclass and Coursera, here are our recommendations for the best online learning platforms you can sign up for today.

The 7 Best Online Learning Platforms of 2022

• Best Overall: Coursera
• Best for Niche Topics: Udemy
• Best for Creative Fields: Skillshare
• Best for Celebrity Lessons: MasterClass
• Best for STEM: EdX
• Best for Career Building: Udacity
• Best for Data Learning: Pluralsight

About the author

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Other related Posts

Subscribe to get latest update

No Man Is an Island

17 pages • 34 minutes read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Poem Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Further Reading & Resources

Discussion Questions

Summary and Study Guide

John Donne wrote “No Man Is an Island” as a part of his “Meditation 17” devotional writing, published in Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions in 1624. Donne is usually associated with a group 17th century poets called the metaphysical poets, who combined complex, unconventional metaphors with scientific allusions and a focus on religion, death, or love. While “No Man Is an Island” originated in prose form, the comprising lines are often extracted as stand-alone verse. The poem’s speaker addresses a general, unidentified audience—one assumed to include all of humanity. In addition to being metaphysical poetry, the text is lyrical, as it delineates the personal thoughts and emotions of the speaker. Donne’s religious clerical occupation, devoted to guiding humankind away from material existence and toward an understanding of mortality, informs this particular excerpt of his work. His clerical duties, as well as the trauma suffered in his personal life, provide an interpretive framework. The text speaks to the interconnectedness of humankind and a recognition of humanity’s shared mortality.

Poet Biography

Like many of his contemporaries, John Donne fell out of popularity regarding his writing not long after his death. It wouldn’t be until the early 1900s that interest in Donne’s poetry and sermons resurrected. Donne was born in 1572 to Elizabeth Heywood and his father, also named John Donne. The family were recusant Catholics and endured prejudicial social and political hostility; at the time, the nationally prescribed faith was Anglicanism, that of the Church of England.

When Donne was approximately four years old, his father passed away and his mother remarried John Syminges, a wealthy physician practicing in London. When he was 11, Donne entered Oxford University and later studied at Cambridge. His Catholicism, however, precluded a degree from either school, as graduation required an oath to Anglican doctrine. After his studies, Donne entered the legal field at Lincoln’s Inn when he was 20 years old. In 1593, Donne’s brother Henry was imprisoned for his Catholicism and died of the plague while incarcerated. Shortly after witnessing his brother’s fatal persecution, Donne capitulated to political pressure and converted to Anglicanism.

During the 1590s, Donne published two volumes of poetry: Satires and Songs and Sonnets, poems of love and religious meditation. Most of Donne’s poems began as manuscripts that would circulate among his social circles. From 1596 through 1597, after the death of his brother and at least two years of legal studies, Donne joined the English naval expeditions to Cadiz and the Azores against Spain as a “gentleman adventurer.” After his return from these travels, he became a private secretary for judge and Lord Chancellor Sir Thomas Egerton.

Through his employment with Sir Thomas Egerton, Donne met his future wife, Anne More, who was Egerton’s niece and the daughter of a member of Parliament. Donne, having learned about politics and foreign affairs during his time with Egerton, entered Parliament himself in 1601, and married More secretly. When Egerton and More’s father eventually learned of the marriage, they censured the union, and Donne was removed from Egerton’s employment in 1602. The dowry was withheld, and Donne was imprisoned for a period. Donne and More received the dowry eight years later, though for the first years of their marriage the couple struggled financially to support their growing family.

It is during this middle period of his life that Donne’s writing began to take on a more religious tendency, sometimes embodying deep personal anxiety and doubt. In 1607 he published his collection of Divine Poems , followed three years later by Pseudo-Martyr, a prose tract arguing that an Oath of Allegiance to James I would not contradict the Catholic faith, thus implying Catholics ought to take the Oath. The publication garnered Anglican attention and acceptance, and Donne, despite his profound misgivings, was pressured by James I into ministerial ordination in the Anglican Church (James I even threatened that Donne would not find any alternate occupation). In 1615, Donne was ordained and soon after was named Royal Chaplain. In 1617, Anne Donne died while in labor with their 12th child (who did not survive childbirth). Most critics believe that Donne’s Holy Sonnets, published after his death, are tied to this time of his life that was so marked with hardship and turmoil.

Donne was named dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London in 1621. About three years later, while ill, Donne wrote and published Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions— works reflecting a preoccupation with death and sickness. He died in London on March 31, 1631.

No man is an island ,

Entire of itself,

Every man is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less.

As well as if a promontory were.

As well as if a manor of thy friend's

Or of thine own were:

Any man's death diminishes me,

Because I am involved in mankind,

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;

It tolls for thee.

Donne, John. “ No Man is an Island .” 1624. DiscoverPoetry.com.

The speaker begins with a blatant negation of the notion that humankind can ever be separate or isolated from one another. Rather than being an “island” (Line 1), every human is connected, forming one big “continent” (Line 3). The speaker elaborates on this sense of unity by painting a picture of how the sea washes away the earth . Just as a landmass is affected by the vanishing of a single piece of earth, an outcropping of land, or a larger manor, humanity is reduced and affected by the death of each human being. A single person’s death “diminishes” (Line 10) the whole population both physically and spiritually. The speaker’s message ends with an admonishment: Rather than taking interest in the names of those around them who have recently died, a person ought to see their fellow humans’ death as a reminder of their shared mortality.

Related Titles

By John Donne

A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning

Break of Day

Death Be Not Proud

Meditation 17

The Sun Rising

Featured Collections

Allegories of Modern Life

View Collection

British Literature

European History

Mortality & Death

Short Poems

No man is an island

What's the meaning of the phrase 'no man is an island'.

The phrase ‘no man is an island’ expresses the idea that human beings do badly when isolated from others and need to be part of a community in order to thrive.

John Donne, who wrote the work that the phrase comes from, was a Christian but this concept is shared by other religions, principally Buddhism.

What's the origin of the phrase 'No man is an island'?

It appears in Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions and Seuerall Steps in my Sicknes – Meditation XVII , 1624:

No man is an island entire of itself, Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, As well as if a promontory were, As well as any manor of thy friend’s, Or of thine own were. Any man’s death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls It tolls for thee.

The text above is a modern-day transcription of Donne’s original , which was written in Early Modern English. like this:

No man is an Iland, intire of itselfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Manor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.

Even if had Donne written nothing else, his creation of ‘no man is an island’ and ‘ask not for whom the bells tolls’ in one brief poem, would have lifted him into the premier league of English writers. As it was he wrote numerous poems on the themes of love, sensuality and religion.

Of course, the second of the two proverbial phrases above was the inspiration for Ernest Hemingway’s 1940 novel For Whom The Bell Tolls . This likewise is regarded as one of Hemingway’s best works.

‘No man is an island’ sounds like, and is, an old proverbial expression . Oddly, although it was coined in the 17th century, it only began to be used widely in the second half of the 20th century. This usage started around 1940 but was probably accelerated by the release of a film of the same name in 1962.

The film is a fictionalised version of a true story set on the island of Guam. The American seaman George Tweed was the only member of the U.S. military who evaded capture after the surrender of the island to the Japanese in 1941.

The history of “No man is an island” in printed materials

Related phrases and meanings, browse more phrases, about the author, gary martin.

Phrases & Meanings

How did we do.

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — John Donne — The Theme of Interconnectedness in No Man is an Island by John Donne

The Theme of Interconnectedness in No Man is an Island by John Donne

• Categories: John Donne

About this sample

Words: 1073 |

Pages: 2.5 |

Published: Jun 29, 2018

Words: 1073 | Pages: 2.5 | 6 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr. Heisenberg

Verified writer

• Expert in: Literature

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 1022 words

5.5 pages / 2475 words

1.5 pages / 674 words

1.5 pages / 780 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

"Love's Deity" is an anti-lyric poem; rather than lament love's inconstancy or celebrate love's union, Donne questions the nature of love itself. Donne presents the poem as a theogony, an account of the origin of the god of [...]

Separation of Two Worlds Within John Donne’s “The Sun Rising” Published in 1633, John Donne’s poem “The Sun Rising” represents an era of metaphysical literary strategies. In order to capture the engrossing love of the [...]

The Flea by John Donne is a metaphysical love poem which takes the form of an erotic humorous narrative. The predominant theme in this poem is seduction which is illustrated using a persuasive conceit of a humble flea. The [...]

In the majority of John Donne’s poetry, it is easy to characterize Donne as a domineering speaker, one who frequently overbears the female voice. Yet in “The Flea,” Donne complicates the prototypical gender roles seen in most [...]

John Donne’s “Holy Sonnet XIV” is filled with Biblical imagery and language suggestive of Psalmic platitude. Batter my heart, three person’d God; for, you As yet but knocke, breathe, shine, and seeke to mend; That I may [...]

Much of Charles Dickens' representation of morality in his most famous of Christmas stories, A Christmas Carol, is derived from "the wisdom of our ancestors." (1) From the beginning of his narrative Dickens explains his usage of [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

The Interpretation of "No Man Is an Island" – A Line of quote by John Donne

The Background "No Man Is an Island" has always remained a common saying across the world. In any case, it’s neither a proverb nor a poem. It’s only a famous line of quote dropped by the English poet, John Donne in his "Meditation XVII". Actually, John Donne wrote a famous prose work titled "Devotions upon Emergent Occasion" in 1624. The work is a series of reflections which he wrote as he recovered from a serious illness. Each part of the work is divided into Mediation, a Prayer and an Expostulation. Mediation XVII is a part of the entire prose work which contains the quote; "No Man Is an Island".

The Structure " No Man Is an Island " is written in a single verse of 7 lines. It has no rhyme scheme. It’s simply written in a meditative mood.

The Meaning In writing the short verse with the titled, "No Man Is an Island", Donne compares mankind to continent. He sees each person as part of the continent and not as an island. He maintains that when a clod breaks off from any continent, such a continent becomes lesser than as it was initially. By this assertion, Donne is referring to the effect of death. When someone dies, mankind which he sees as a continent becomes shortened by that death of the individual. From the above, we can deduce some interpretations. "No Man Is an Island" suggests that human beings should not live in isolation. We’re all interconnected to one another. No one stands alone like an island that is surrounded only by the sea. We need one another to survive in life.

You will also find here the video on the recitation of No Man is an Island .

Related Posts

• Interpretation of Little Orphant Annie by James Whitcomb Riley
• Analysis of poem Remember written by Christina Rossetti
• The Analysis of "Songs of Innocence" – A Collection of Poems written by William Blake
• Interpretation & Summary of Bidrohi by Kazi Nazrul Islam
• Analysis of "Caged Bird"- A poem written by Maya Angelou

• Free writing courses
• Famous poetry classics
• Forums: Poet's • Suggestions
• My active groups   see all
• Trade comments
• Print publishing
• Rate comments
• Recent views
• Membership plan
• Contact us + HELP

No Man Is an Island

No man is an island,

Entire of itself;

Every man is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less,

As well as if a promontory were:

As well as if a manor of thy friend's

Or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me,

Because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;

It tolls for thee.

Comments from the archive

John donne   follow.

Make comments, explore modern poetry. Join today for free!

Top poems List all »

Have you read these poets? List all »

More by john donne list all ».

• Send Message
• Open Profile in New Window

Summary Of No Man’s An Island By John Donne

“No Man is an Island” is a famous line from “Meditation XVII,” part of the “Devotions upon Emergent Occasions” written by the English poet and cleric John Donne in 1624. This work, a prose piece, delves deeply into the idea of human interconnectedness, compassion, and the communal nature of humanity. Donne’s meditation reflects on the suffering and death of others, asserting that each person’s experiences are part of a larger human experience.

Critical Summary

Human Interconnectedness: Donne’s central thesis in “No Man is an Island” is the fundamental interconnectedness of all people. The metaphor of an island serves to illustrate the notion that no one stands entirely alone; individuals are inherently part of a larger whole, which is humanity itself. This concept challenges the individualistic perspective that often dominates human thinking, suggesting instead that the bonds between people are not just social or economic, but profound and essential.

Mortality and Empathy: The meditation contemplates mortality, emphasizing that the death of any person diminishes everyone else, as all are part of the same ‘continent’ of humanity. This perspective encourages empathy and a deep sense of shared fate among all people. Donne’s reflection, “any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind,” underscores this shared vulnerability and the collective loss felt with the passing of each individual.

Spiritual and Ethical Implications: Donne, being a cleric, imbues the text with spiritual significance. The meditation serves as a moral lesson on the importance of compassion, understanding, and support for one another. It suggests that recognizing the interconnectedness of humanity is not only a matter of emotional empathy but also of spiritual and ethical necessity. The acknowledgment of our shared humanity and mortality should lead to more compassionate actions and a sense of responsibility towards others.

Google Ads PPC Training Digital – membership area

An Exclusive Blood Sugar Balancing And Weight Loss

Bell Metaphor: Another powerful metaphor in the meditation is the tolling of a funeral bell, which Donne argues should not be asked for whom it tolls, for “it tolls for thee.” This symbolizes the idea that the loss of a life is a universal loss, and the bell’s toll is a reminder of one’s own mortality and the collective mourning of humanity.

Within a short span of expansion of western education Indian writers and intellectuals have, in their works, shown a characteristic awareness of international problems, including that of betterment of human lot, Minoo Masani who was basically a political activist and also a parliamentarian has written this essay to focus on the meaning of progress of civilization and also on the conditions that could guarantee freedom and peace to the modern citizens of the world.

Masani derives inspiration from a sermon of John Donne, the English metaphysical poet , who, in the seventeenth century itself, spoke of hi feeling of brotherhood for the entire mankind, of his oneness with the whole human race of the world-

No man is an island, entire of itself,  every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.

 He therefore begins his essay with the optimistic view that in course of time all the states and nations of the world will merge into a world Union or Federation. This federation will be the political organisation of the modern men who are already feeling to have become member of an international family this federation will greatly, the outlook of men and women, giving them a concrete sense of oneness and fellow feeling. But, Minoo Masani argues, this will not be the goal of the modern man. This not be the goal of the modern man. The real goal, according to him, is the realization of a richer and fuller life- the perfect growth of man’s personality in an atmosphere of unhindered freedom.

Also Read : 

• Compare Hamlet with Macbeth, Othello and other Tragedies
• “The Pardoner’s Tale” is the finest tale of Chaucer
• Prologue to Canterbury Tales – (Short Ques & Ans)
• Confessional Poetry – Definition & meaning
• Line By Line Explanation Of The Poem The Eve of  St. Agnes

The realization of this goal can be possible only by installation of a democratic government at the head. Having examined the different systems of the government that are functioning at present Minoo Masani opts for democracy, the only form of government in which two basic conditions of man’s happiness can be fulfilled. Those two conditions are- first the greatest good of the greatest number, secondly, availability of the largest amount of freedom to every man and woman. These are actually the two principles of ideal government discovered by English philosophers of the nineteenth century. Our experience of different political regimes have shown that only that government in which these conditions can be ensued is the means of the realization of true development of man’s personality. Minoo Masani speaks of a beautiful ideal that mankind has to strive for, that is, of becoming gods and goddesses they have read about and whom they worship. By making right efforts towards peace, education. righteousness and international brotherhood man will attain this goal.

The Ultimate Updates in Finance (CLICK HERE)

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

🔥 Don't Miss Out! Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel for Exclusive English Literature, Research Papers, Best Notes for UG, PG & UGC-NET!

🌟 Click Now! 👉

Recent Posts

Summary of “Kafan” by Munshi Premchand

The Rise of Novel Apartments: A Fresh Perspective on Modern Living

A Comparative Analysis of Medieval and Renaissance English Literature

Describe The Happy Ending Of Play Antony and Cleopatra

The Politics of Antony and Cleopatra By Shakespeare

Some Explanation from Indian English Prose

Ideas Contained In The Essay The Secret of Work by Swami Vivekanand

Education for New India By C. Rajagopalachari

Indian Civilization and Culture By M.K. Gandhi

• Paired Texts
• Related Media
• Teacher Guide

For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your web browser.

• CommonLit is a nonprofit that has everything teachers and schools need for top-notch literacy instruction: a full-year ELA curriculum, benchmark assessments, and formative data. Browse Content Who We Are About

Wanderer above the Sea of Fog

Caspar david friedrich, kunsthalle hamburg.

No man is an island

Meditation XVII, 1624

#EnglishWriters 1624 Meditation XVII,

Liked or faved by...

Other works by John Donne...

Dear love, for nothing less than t… Would I have broke this happy dre… It was a theme For reason, much too strong for fa… Therefore thou wak’d’st me wisely;…

What if this present were the worl… Mark in my heart, O soul, where t… The picture of Christ crucified,… Whether that countenance can thee… Tears in his eyes quench the amazi…

I long to talk with some old lover… Who died before the god of love wa… I cannot think that he, who then l… Sunk so low as to love one which d… But since this god produc’d a dest…

When by thy scorn, O murd’ress, I… And that thou think’st thee free From all solicitation from me, Then shall my ghost come to thy be… And thee, feign’d vestal, in worse…

Sweetest love, I do not go, For weariness of thee, Nor in hope the world can show A fitter love for me; But since that I

If yet I have not all thy love, Dear, I shall never have it all; I cannot breathe one other sigh, t… Nor can intreat one other tear to… And all my treasure, which should…

Some that have deeper digg’d love’… Say, where his centric happiness d… I have lov’d, and got, and told, But should I love, get, tell, til… I should not find that hidden myst…

Twice or thrice had I lov’d thee, Before I knew thy face or name; So in a voice, so in a shapeless f… Angels affect us oft, and worshipp… Still when, to where thou wert, I…

Come, Madam, come, all rest my po… Until I labour, I in labour lie. The foe oft—times having the foe i… Is tir’d with standing though he n… Off with that girdle, like heaven’…

Oh, to vex me, contraries meet in… Inconstancy unnaturally hath begot A constant habit; that when I wou… I change in vows, and in devotion. As humorous is my contrition

I am two fools, I know, For loving, and for saying so In whining poetry; But where’s that wiseman, that wou… If she would not deny?

Show me dear Christ, thy spouse s… What! is it she which on the other… Goes richly painted? or which, rob… Laments and mourns in Germany and… Sleeps she a thousand, then peeps…

Where, like a pillow on a bed A pregnant bank swell’d up to rest The violet’s reclining head, Sat we two, one another’s best. Our hands were firmly cemented

SEND home my long stray’d eyes t… Which, O! too long have dwelt on… Yet since there they have learn’d… Such forced fashions, And false passions,

Since she whom I lov’d hath paid… To nature, and to hers, and my goo… And her soul early into heaven rav… Wholly in heavenly things my mind… Here the admiring her my mind did…

Home / Essay Samples / Literature / John Donne / “No Man is an Island”: A Thoughtful Deconstruction of the Proverb

"No Man is an Island": A Thoughtful Deconstruction of the Proverb

• Category: Literature , Philosophy
• Topic: John Donne , Meaning , Understanding

Pages: 2 (877 words)

Views: 1093

• Downloads: -->

--> ⚠️ Remember: This essay was written and uploaded by an--> click here.

Found a great essay sample but want a unique one?

are ready to help you with your essay

You won’t be charged yet!

Metamorphosis Essays

Their Eyes Were Watching God Essays

Catcher in The Rye Essays

A Modest Proposal Essays

The Scarlet Letter Essays

Related Essays

We are glad that you like it, but you cannot copy from our website. Just insert your email and this sample will be sent to you.

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service  and  Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Your essay sample has been sent.

In fact, there is a way to get an original essay! Turn to our writers and order a plagiarism-free paper.

samplius.com uses cookies to offer you the best service possible.By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .--> --> Srinagar Dharwad Hyderabad

Call us @ 08069405205

Search Here

• An Introduction to the CSE Exam
• Personality Test
• Annual Calendar by UPSC-2024
• Common Myths about the Exam
• About Insights IAS
• Our Mission, Vision & Values
• Director's Desk
• Meet Our Team
• Our Branches
• Careers at Insights IAS
• Daily Current Affairs+PIB Summary
• Insights into Editorials
• Insta Revision Modules for Prelims
• Current Affairs Quiz
• Static Quiz
• Current Affairs RTM
• Insta-DART(CSAT)
• Insta 75 Days Revision Tests for Prelims 2024
• Secure (Mains Answer writing)
• Secure Synopsis
• Ethics Case Studies
• Insta Ethics
• Weekly Essay Challenge
• Insta Revision Modules-Mains
• Insta 75 Days Revision Tests for Mains
• Secure (Archive)
• Anthropology
• Law Optional
• Kannada Literature
• Public Administration
• English Literature
• Medical Science
• Mathematics
• Commerce & Accountancy
• Monthly Magazine: CURRENT AFFAIRS 30
• Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
• InstaMaps: Important Places in News
• Weekly CA Magazine
• The PRIME Magazine
• Insta Revision Modules-Prelims
• Insta-DART(CSAT) Quiz
• Insta 75 days Revision Tests for Prelims 2022
• Insights SECURE(Mains Answer Writing)
• Interview Transcripts
• Previous Years' Question Papers-Prelims
• Answer Keys for Prelims PYQs
• Solve Prelims PYQs
• Previous Years' Question Papers-Mains
• UPSC CSE Syllabus
• Toppers from Insights IAS
• Testimonials
• Felicitation
• UPSC Results
• Indian Heritage & Culture
• Ancient Indian History
• Medieval Indian History
• Modern Indian History
• World History
• World Geography
• Indian Geography
• Indian Society
• Social Justice
• International Relations
• Agriculture
• Environment & Ecology
• Disaster Management
• Science & Technology
• Security Issues
• Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
• Insights IAS Brochure

• Indian Heritage & Culture
• Enivornment & Ecology

Essay: No man is an island

Mains self study guide: insights mock test – 3  (essay).

NOTE : Those who want to write in notebook should treat this as a Real Exam and try to complete the paper within One and Half Hours. You can download PDF copy of the same Test HERE . The Timetable is HERE .

Those who want to answer here itself can Click on the Questions below and post your answers. Thank you.

Insights Mains Offline Test Series 2015

No man is an island

• Our Mission, Vision & Values
• Director’s Desk
• Commerce & Accountancy
• Previous Years’ Question Papers-Prelims
• Previous Years’ Question Papers-Mains
• Environment & Ecology
• Science & Technology