What is the tone of John Donne's “Meditation 17”?
1 Answer
brbrowne | High School Teacher | (Level 1) Adjunct Educator
The tone is, as the title implies, thoughtful and meditative. Donne had just recovered from a serious illness and was contemplating his life and how it related to the rest of the world. He realized that one should not live for himself alone but we are all related to others and are connected to them. We should not feel lucky if we've escaped misfortune but should identify with those who have not: "No man is an island."