Wednesday 30 May 2007

John Donne (1572-1631) "Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions", Meditation XVII:

"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....."

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each 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 manner of thine own
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.

1 comment:

  1. Ah my dear, a fitting tribute for a fallen friend, blog or otherwise, a poem I memorized when I was 13 and have loved always. So sorry for your loss.

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