Sudeep Annem Essays (364 words) - Christianity, Literature

Sudeep Annem Mrs. Burch AP English Literature 11 September 2017 Visual Essay Statement I examined the impact of the dark theme of death which reflected the atmosphere of the medieval times. In an era rampant with disease and misfortune, many works of poetry reflected the gloomy atmosphere surrounding their poets. The poems that asserted the dominance of death in medieval literature were Death be Not Proud written by John Donne, Hell before Purgatory located in the Worcester Manuscript, and Pearl by an unknown official writer. These three poems provided varying point of views of the impactful writers in medieval times. The first poem describes one attitude that many adapted towards death during this time. Since death was occurring so frequently those like John Donne sought to justify death and discuss its weakness. He states that death has no power over humans as they can live eternally after they pass away. Also, since the body remains after death Donne argues that the only thing that truly perishes is death itself. The second poem has a more gruesome outlook on the effects of death. It talks about how the fires of purgatory are inescapable regardless of how many merits are accumulated over the course of a lifetime. The final poem discusses how death is a dreamlike state, but it is sacred. No mortals may trespass on the celestial affairs of the afterlife. A man goes looking for his pearl and angers the heavens resulting in divine punishment. All of the aspects of death led to the selection of visuals I ma de in my collage. The choice of a scythe represented the power that death held over humans in medieval times and within the scythe was an array of unique medieval paintings and pieces of art which expressed the fleetingness and inevitability of death. In addition, I incorporated images that suggested the impact of religion and the current state of world affairs (namely the Black Plague) had on the interpretation of death in medieval art and literature. The theme of death defined the culture of Medieval times and the many representations and beliefs surrounding death located in literature helped show the modern people the harsh life that awaited those in that time.