An address to a dead or absent person, or personification as if he or she were present. In his Holy Sonnet “Death, Be Not Proud,” John Donne denies death’s power by directly admonishing it. [fieldset=Holy Sonnets: “Death, Be Not Proud” by John Donne]Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery. Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell, And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then? One short sleep past, we wake eternally And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.[/fieldset] In the poem below, Emily Dickinson addresses her absent object of passion in “Wild Nights! - Wild Nights!” -- This is a perfect example of 'apostrophe' in use: [fieldset=Wild Nights - Wild Nights! (269) by Emily Dickinson]Wild nights - Wild nights! Were I with thee Wild nights should be Our luxury! Futile - the winds - To a Heart in port - Done with the Compass - Done with the Chart! Rowing in Eden - Ah - the Sea! Might I but moor - tonight - In thee![/fieldset]
