Quote by John Donne, Meditation XVII from
All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....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 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.
Summary
This quote by John Donne emphasizes the interconnectedness of humanity. It suggests that all humans are part of a greater whole, like chapters in a book, and that when one person dies, their translation into a "better language" does not diminish their significance, but rather affects and diminishes the entire community. Donne further highlights that no individual exists in isolation, comparing them to pieces of a continent, and states that the tolling bell is a reminder of the collective mortality that binds us all. Essentially, it conveys the message that the death of anyone should be acknowledged by all, as it affects the entirety of mankind.
Topics
Humanity
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