Which figure of speech is used in these lines from sonnet 10 of the holy sonnets 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

Personification

Explanation:

On this current sonnet, personification is the figure on speech that's being used.

This literary concept refers to those writings in which the author presents non-human objects, such as animals, furniture or even an abstract idea, and gives them human characteristics in order for the reader to feel as if it was being talked about one (human).

Following Sonnet 10 as an example, we can see that the author is personifying death as if it was speaking to us personally, and asking not to be afraid from it.

chapter i -- paris: september, 1792

a surging, seething, murmuring crowd of beings that are human only in name, for to the eye and ear they seem naught but savage creatures, animated by vile passions and by the lust of vengeance and of hate.

during the greater part of the day the guillotine had been kept busy at its ghastly work: all that france had boasted of in the past centuries, of ancient names, and blue blood, had paid toll to her desire for liberty and for fraternity.

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