Existential dilemmas remain rooted in the human condition, where superficial evasions intellectualizing such concerns are ultimately addressed by universal values ​​of humility and compassion within contextual constructs. In the face of death, the notion of spirit arises as a mechanism to mask insecurities, with mortal suffering allowing for the edification of giving up pride and forming authentic emotional bonds. Although composed in very different contexts, John Donne's 17th-century metaphysical poems and Margaret Edson's late 20th-century postmodern work W;t retain their significance by examining mortal fears to approach the spiritual processes necessary to achieve l acceptance of death. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In an attempt to mask the ever-present fear of mortality, intellectualism allows individuals to gain a sense of control over immutable existential anxieties. Revered during the Age of Discovery, Donne's use of wit in his 17th-century poetry serves to condone God's arbitrary judgment, arguing for the finality of death to offer comfort in the afterlife. Within Death be not Proud, Donne circumvents the capabilities of death through the condescending apostrophe in the metaphysical conception of sleep, "Die not, poor Death, nor canst thou slay me," describing death as a transition into the spiritual afterlife, subverting the long-standing apprehension. towards human transience within Protestant scriptures. Donne promotes the disempowering of death in If Poisonous Minerals, generating a veneer of pride through argumentative structure in the biblical allusion, “if envious serpents cannot be damned,” along with the rhetorical question, “why should I be?” denoting Donne's fear of damnation, it implies that inherent human qualities should not impede personal redemption. Similarly, despite composing in a secular context, Edson's W;t explores how Vivian uses her academic prowess to hide her impending death during her strenuous chemotherapy treatment. Paralleling Donne's intellectual facade is Vivian's ironic hyperbole describing how she knew "everything about life and death." I am...a study of Donne's Holy Sonnet", establishes how the theoretical understanding of death within its research-oriented environment has hindered the ability to grasp the complexities of mortality as a tangible human emotion. Emphasizing the use of intellectualism to obscure mortal vulnerabilities, Vivian's repetition during the test: "I have a Ph.D." conveys the use of academia to perpetuate a sense of arrogance that offsets the fear of a terminal illness Rationalizing the abstract of death as a panacea for mortal suffering provides a temporary sense of condescending certainty. Furthermore, powerful confrontations with mortality force personal self-annihilation, where an initial defense of arrogance is eroded by, inciting introspection. to subsequent redemption. . The contextual Christian notion of suffering as penance is exemplified as Donne argues for God's absolution in Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness, through the allusion to Jesus, his other crown", which metaphorically represents the need to reconcile one's sins through physical hardship. Donne renounces any skepticism towards death in This is my Playes Last Scene, through the apostrophe addressed to God, "charge me righteous, thus purified from evil", inferring the disavowal of a position.