Breaking Down Donne

John Donne wrote the essay, Meditation XVII, from Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions. This piece was written three hundred and seventy-eight years ago in 1678. John Donne wrote this essay at a time when he was very ill. Due to this, the main topic of his essay is that of death and of ones own mortality. In the beginning he lets us know that he is sick when saying: and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me and see my state may have caused it to toll for me The bell Donne is talking about is the one that tolls every time a parishioner dies. Donne says that he might be so sick that the bell may be tolling for him and he does not even know it. At this point he is so sick that people have to take care of him. He feels that the people caring for him may have caused the bell to toll for him, especially those who see how sick he really is. John Donne, emphasizes the unity of the Catholic Church and he describes her as being universal. He says that ...