Home — Essay Samples — Life — Sayings — No Man Is an Island
No Man is an Island
- Category: Life
About this sample
Words: 594 |
Published: Sep 16, 2023
Words: 594 | Page: 1 | 3 min read
Table of contents
1. **interdependence in society**, 2. **empathy and compassion**, 3. **environmental impact**, 4. **economic interdependence**, 5. **social relationships**, 6. **crisis and solidarity**, 7. **global challenges**.
Cite this Essay
Let us write you an essay from scratch
- 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
- Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours
Get high-quality help
Verified writer
- Expert in: Life
+ 120 experts online
By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email
No need to pay just yet!
Related Essays
4 pages / 1728 words
4 pages / 1724 words
3 pages / 1182 words
3 pages / 1428 words
Remember! This is just a sample.
You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.
121 writers online
Still can’t find what you need?
Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled
Related Essays on Sayings
The concept of a perfect world has been a source of human imagination and aspiration for centuries. It represents an ideal state where harmony, justice, and prosperity prevail. While acknowledging the inherent challenges of [...]
Through the lens of historical events, literature, and personal experiences, the proverb "on pride goes before a fall" reverberates with profound wisdom. This age-old adage offers a critical reflection on the detrimental effects [...]
If you could change the world, what would you do and why? This thought-provoking question invites us to reflect on our aspirations for a better world and the actions we would take to bring about positive transformation. In a [...]
“Carpe Diem” translated to “pluck the day” or “seize the day” has many definitions but in the following paragraphs there will be two definitions that will show my understanding of “Carpe Diem.” One of the definitions is to woo [...]
“The Flea,” by John Donne and “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell are both love poems from the 1600’s with the shared goal to court their respective ladies. Donne’s “The Flea” shows the speaker trying to woo his lady by [...]
Related Topics
By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.
Where do you want us to send this sample?
By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.
Be careful. This essay is not unique
This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before
Download this Sample
Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts
Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.
Please check your inbox.
We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!
Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!
We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .
- Instructions Followed To The Letter
- Deadlines Met At Every Stage
- Unique And Plagiarism Free
‘No Man Is An Island’, Meaning & Context
People usually think that the phrase ‘No man is an island’ comes from Shakespeare, as it sounds like it is one of Shakespeare’s many famous lines . It also sounds as though it may have come from the Bible. There are hundreds of quotations similarly mistaken as Shakespeare’s , such as “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” that comes from a Restoration play, The Mourning Bride by William Congreve
‘No man is an island’ is an idiom taken from a 17th century sermon by the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral. The Dean happened to be John Donne , a clergyman who now, almost four hundred years later, is regarded as one of the greatest English poets.
It is often assumed that ‘no man is an island’ is from one of Donne’s poems: it’s ironic that though he is the author of some of the finest and most memorable verses in English poetry, this phrase, not from a poem, but a sermon, is the most famous quote from him.
Here is the full John Done quote from his sermon:
“No man is an island entire of itself; every man 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 any manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”
No man is an island
Background to John Donne’s ‘No man is an island’ sermon
The words ‘No man is an island’ were embedded in a deeply Christian sermon about how human beings are connected to each other, and how important that connection is for the wellbeing and survival of any individual. When you hear the church bell tolling for someone who has died, don’t ask who it is, Donne says, just know that it’s tolling for you too because you are part of the same society and the death of anyone takes a part of your own life away.
The sermon is noted, not just for ‘no man is an island,’ but also the phrase ‘for whom the bell tolls,’ which was used by Ernest Hemingway as the title of his most famous novel.
John Donne and the development of English poetry
As Shakespeare was nearing the end of his playwriting career there was a new poetry taking hold in English. It was written by poets who were not professional writers but highly educated men who had careers in other areas like the Church, business, diplomacy, and the military.
Their poetry reflected their education and they used the latest developments in science, geography, astronomy, etc. to make their imagery: their poems had a strong intellectual component. Shakespeare himself, never for a moment one of the many poets who became old-fashioned in the face of the new poetry, became a part of this poetic development, which we now call ‘ metaphysical poetry ’ and the poets “the metaphysical poets,”. In fact, some of Shakespeare’s verse in his poems and plays were models for the metaphysical poets.
The metaphysical poets did not regard their poetry writing as meaning that they were “poets” in the sense that men like John Milton and Edmund Spencer were – they were busy men in their own fields who wrote poems more as a hobby, not publishing them but passing them around to friends who also wrote poems. In that way, they influenced each other. Looking at their poems now there are striking similarities, which amounts to their being a ‘school’ of poetry – ‘ the metaphysical poets .’
When we look back now at the metaphysical poets John Donne is, without doubt, the best of them. His poems are powerful and beautiful, mainly about love, but becoming some of the most powerful religious poems like his sonnets ‘Batter my heart three person’d God,’ ‘At the round earth’s imagined corners blow your trumpets angels’ and ‘Death be not proud, though some have called you mighty and dreadful’.
That development from love to religious poetry reflects Donne’s career and personal development. He trained as a lawyer then embarked on a life of adventure as a soldier and explorer, becoming well known as a man about town, popular with women. He settled down at the age of 25 as a high-level secretary, where he fell in love with his wealthy employer’s niece Anne More. He married her secretly, which enraged her uncle: the couple had to disappear. Donne wrote a small verse to describe their plight: “ John Donne, Anne Donne, Undone .”
The pair went to London where Donne eked out a meager living until he was elected to parliament in 1602. In the 16 years of their marriage, Anne gave birth to 12 children, dying during the birth of the twelfth.
After several years as a member of parliament, Donne converted from Catholicism to Anglicanism, took holy orders, and entered the church, eventually becoming the Dean of St Pauls, where he wrote and delivered a great number of wonderful sermons.
His sermons, as powerful as his poems, are full of lines and ideas that indicate an intense life, profound thoughts, and a strong sense of humour. Some other famous lines from his sermons are:
“When one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language”
“And who understands? Not me, because if I did I would forgive it all.”
“Death is an ascension to a better library”
“Reason is our soul’s left hand, faith her right. By these we reach divinity”
“He that hath all can have no more.”
Of all of John Donne’s quotes – from his sermons and poetry, “No man is an island” stands apart as the most perfect expression of an individual’s position in relation to society.
- Pinterest 1
amazing job
Is the translation of “Manor” in Donne’s original to “manner” correct? He didn’t mean “Manor” as a piece of land with houses and farms?
“if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Manor of thy friends or of thine owne were”
A clod of earth is a small part of the fields that comprise an estate, or Manor… So I think you are altogether correct to think Donne is speaking of the importance of a seemingly insignificant part of the whole. Thanks and well done.
Your’s is a question answered by context…. which inarguably confirms “manor” relates to one’s homestead, estate, or property.
Who said or wrote:
“Man. man, one can not live entirely without pity”
although I have always been an outsider, even in childhood not belonging to the places I lived as I had moved around since age 9yr old, since may 2001 I have lived a very secluded life almost a recluse most of the time. I saw people for an hour and a half some days. but they didn’t talk to me often. I had very little contact with those I saw in the self-help place I went to for help around problems I had. That became a way of life for me and became the only place I went where humans were. most kept back from me there. And I was told they all hated me. I never knew them. And the family grew up left home got their own lives and got busy and had very little time to spare to see me. and some families lived far away. for personal reasons I didn’t want to get involved with the men who asked, in the past 22 years, I have had very little involvement with men, I was lonely at first for a few years, however, I became used to it, I broke through the loneliness barrier. learned to enjoy my own company. However I found that my mental health was getting worse and worse, though I had no feeling of loneliness, I was becoming crazy in my mind. somewhat like tom Hank in the movie where he is shipwrecked on a desert island and has only a football to talk to. isolation. recently I went back to the old church that I had been in when I was a young woman. and my mental health has improved, the love of the brothers and sisters there is like no other love I have ever known before, the acceptance. I have not known before. I am still having a bit of a problem with mixing in due to the prolonged isolation I have lived in. but I am improving slowly. i know what it feels like to be an island.
What a fascinating, sad, yet heart-warming journey you’ve had. Stay encouraged and keep pressing forward sister.. Life is difficult but also brings wonderful triumphs.
You speak very eloquently; as if you are a poet. I can relate to your anguish and I sincerely wish I could express myself as you do… I greatly admire your ability to express yourself. That being said… some food for thought: Life is a series of challenges… those challenges are more difficult for those of us who think differently. I truly believe there are few things we can change in life; however, the most life-changing innate power we possess is the ability to change our thoughts… and thereby change our lives. Wishing you nothing but peace and contentment… what true happiness is. ❤️
I’m glad for you, sister. I know what it’s like to be an outsider too. Thank God for true friends!
It’s noteworthy that John Donne speaks of ‘Europe’ not ‘England’.
Leave a Reply
Leave a reply cancel reply.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
No Man Is an Island Summary & Analysis by John Donne
- Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
- Poetic Devices
- Vocabulary & References
- Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
- Line-by-Line Explanations
John Donne's "No Man is an Island" is about the connection between all of humankind. Donne essentially argues that people need each other and are better together than they are in isolation, because every individual is one piece of the greater whole that is humanity itself. The paragraph isn't actually a poem but a famous excerpt from Donne's Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions . Written in 1623 when Donne was in the grips of a serious illness, the Devotions examine what it means to be a human being and the relationship between humanity and God. Each of this book's 23 sections features a "Meditation," "Expostulation," and "Prayer." This particular segment comes from the 17th "Meditation."
- Read the full text of “No Man Is an Island”
The Full Text of “No Man Is an Island”
1 No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a
2 piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod
3 be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well
4 as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy
5 friend's or of thine own were; any man's death
6 diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and
7 therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
8 it tolls for thee.
“No Man Is an Island” Summary
“no man is an island” themes.
Human Connection
- See where this theme is active in the poem.
Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “No Man Is an Island”
No man is an island, entire of itself;
every man 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 manor of thy friend's or of thine own were;
any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind,
and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“No Man Is an Island” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
Alliteration.
- See where this poetic device appears in the poem.
“No Man Is an Island” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Entire of itself
- Send to know
- See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.
Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “No Man Is an Island”
Rhyme scheme, “no man is an island” speaker, “no man is an island” setting, literary and historical context of “no man is an island”, more “no man is an island” resources, external resources.
The Poem Out Loud — Listen to a live reading by musician P.J. Harvey.
Donne's Life and Work — Learn more about Donne's life story via the Poetry Foundation.
Donne and Death — A podcast discussing the poet's attitude towards mortality.
The 17th Meditation — Check out the longer Meditation in which this famous excerpt appears.
Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions — Explore the full text of the book in which this famous paragraph appears, written by Donne during a period of sickness (and recovery).
LitCharts on Other Poems by John Donne
A Hymn to God the Father
Air and Angels
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
A Valediction: Of Weeping
Elegy V: His Picture
Holy Sonnet 10: Death, be not proud
Holy Sonnet 14: Batter my heart, three-person'd God
Holy Sonnet 1: Thou hast made me, and shall thy work decay?
Holy Sonnet 6: This is my play's last scene
Holy Sonnet 7: At the round earth's imagined corners
Hymn to God My God, in My Sickness
Song: Go and catch a falling star
The Apparition
The Canonization
The Good-Morrow
The Sun Rising
The Triple Fool
To His Mistress Going to Bed
Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions
The meaning and origin of the expression: No man is an island
No man is an island
What's the meaning of the phrase 'no man is an island'.
The phrase 'no man is an island' expresses the idea that human beings do badly when isolated from others and need to be part of a community in order to thrive.
John Donne, who wrote the work that the phrase comes from, was a Christian but this concept is shared by other religions, principally Buddhism.
What's the origin of the phrase 'No man is an island'?
'No man is an island' was coined by the English metaphysical poet John Donne (1572-1631).
It appears in Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions and Seuerall Steps in my Sicknes - Meditation XVII , 1624:
No man is an island entire of itself, Every man 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 any manor of thy friend's, Or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls ; It tolls for thee.
The text above is a modern-day transcription of Donne's original , which was written in Early Modern English. like this:
No man is an Iland, intire of itselfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Manor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.
Even if had Donne written nothing else, his creation of 'no man is an island' and 'ask not for whom the bells tolls' in one brief poem, would have lifted him into the premier league of English writers. As it was he wrote numerous poems on the themes of love, sensuality and religion.
Many of his poems are still widely admired and he is considered one of the finest poets to have written in English.
Of course, the second of the two proverbial phrases above was the inspiration for Ernest Hemingway's 1940 novel For Whom The Bell Tolls . This likewise is regarded as one of Hemingway's best works.
'No man is an island' sounds like, and is, an old proverbial expression . Oddly, although it was coined in the 17th century, it only began to be used widely in the second half of the 20th century. This usage started around 1940 but was probably accelerated by the release of a film of the same name in 1962.
The film is a fictionalised version of a true story set on the island of Guam. The American seaman George Tweed was the only member of the U.S. military who evaded capture after the surrender of the island to the Japanese in 1941.
See also: the List of Proverbs .
By Gary Martin
Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
A Summary and Analysis of John Donne’s ‘No Man Is an Island’ Meditation
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ is a phrase from one of John Donne’s most famous pieces of writing. Indeed, it’s the same piece of writing that also includes what is probably his other most famous phrase, ‘No Man Is an Island’.
Although they’re often thought to come from a poem Donne wrote, and Donne is best-known as a poet, both of these lines – probably his two most widely-known – actually appear in one of Donne’s prose writings.
You can read the full ‘No Man Is an Island’ meditation here , but for the purposes of this analysis we’re going to focus on the famous paragraph:
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man 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 manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
John Donne: a brief introduction
John Donne (1572-1631) was a hugely important figure in Elizabethan and Jacobean literature. As a young man in the 1590s, he had pioneered what would become known as metaphysical poetry , writing impassioned and sensual poetry to his beloved that drew on new debates and discoveries in astronomy for its imagery and poetic conceits .
Common features of metaphysical poetry include elaborate similes and metaphors, extended poetic conceits and paradoxes, colloquial speech, and an interest in exploring the interplay between the physical and spiritual world (and between the big and the small).
Donne is often said to be the first metaphysical poet, and Donne’s genius for original, intellectually complex poetry certainly helped to set the trend for the poetry that followed him.
He began writing at the end of the sixteenth century, but the high moment of metaphysical poetry would be in the century that followed. Other key characteristics of metaphysical poetry include: complicated mental and emotional experience; unusual and sometimes deliberately contrived metaphors and similes; and the idea that the physical and spiritual universes are connected.
That is how Donne, as a young man, embarked on a literary career (although he appears to have written his early work to amuse his friends and associates, rather than for publication). Then, as he grew older, he became a devoted Anglican and rose to become Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral. He would write a series of Holy Sonnets which transferred his earlier youthful passions from a woman on to God Himself.
But Donne was also a powerful writer and deliverer of sermons, and a talented prose writer. The famous lines he wrote that contain the ‘for whom the bell tolls’ statement were written in his last years.
In 1623, he fell ill with a fever and, while he recovered, he wrote the Devotions upon Emergent Occasions , a series of prose writings split into three parts: ‘Meditations’, ‘Expostulations to God’, and ‘Prayers’. The oft-quoted ‘no man is an island’ line, as well as the ‘for whom the bell tolls’ one, come from the seventeenth Meditation in Donne’s Devotions .
Donne was gravely ill and his own death, and the mortality of all human life, must have been continually on his mind; the Devotions come back to sin and salvation as recurrent themes, too.
The meaning of Donne’s ‘No man is an island’ meditation is fairly straightforward. We should feel a sense of belonging to the whole of the human race, and should feel a sense of loss at every death, because it has taken something away from mankind.
The funeral bell that tolls for another person’s death also tolls for us, because it marks the death of a part of us, but also because it is a memento mori , a reminder that we ourselves will die one day.
The power of the passage is in the language Donne chooses to use. In many ways, it’s a natural extension of his earlier metaphysical poetry, which often unravelled a single idea, thinking through the metaphor, developing it, taking it to its logical conclusion, and, occasionally, deliberately taking it to absurd extremes.
Here, the development of the central metaphor is more staid, but is still noteworthy for its being extended over the course of several sentences.
Nobody lives or exists alone, and we are all part of something greater. Each individual person is like a part of the mainland or a piece of a bigger continent, rather than an island nation that is self-sufficient and cut off from the rest.
Final Thoughts
By way of concluding this analysis, it’s worth noting that the ‘No man is an island’ paragraph is not, in fact, the conclusion of Donne’s Meditation XVII. Instead, there is a further paragraph, which runs:
If a man carry treasure in bullion or in a wedge of gold, and have none coined into current moneys, his treasure will not defray him as he travels. Tribulation is treasure in the nature of it, but it is not current money in the use of it, except we get nearer and nearer our home, heaven, by it.
The passage continues, concluding the meditation with the resounding words:
Another may be sick too, and sick to death, and this affliction may lie in his bowels, as gold in a mine, and be of no use to him; but this bell that tells me of his affliction, digs out, and applies that gold to me: if by this consideration of another’s danger, I take mine own into contemplation, and so secure myself, by making my recourse to my God, who is our only security.
1 thought on “A Summary and Analysis of John Donne’s ‘No Man Is an Island’ Meditation”
I love seeing that a new ‘Interesting Literature’ email has arrived in my inbox. They’ve been very frequent recently and much appreciated
Comments are closed.
Discover more from Interesting Literature
Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.
Continue reading
- #WalangPasok
- Breaking News
- Photography
- ALS Exam Results
- Aeronautical Engineering Board Exam Result
- Agricultural and Biosystem Engineering Board Exam Result
- Agriculturist Board Exam Result
- Architecture Exam Results
- BAR Exam Results
- CPA Exam Results
- Certified Plant Mechanic Exam Result
- Chemical Engineering Exam Results
- Chemical Technician Exam Result
- Chemist Licensure Exam Result
- Civil Engineering Exam Results
- Civil Service Exam Results
- Criminology Exam Results
- Customs Broker Exam Result
- Dental Hygienist Board Exam Result
- Dental Technologist Board Exam Result
- Dentist Licensure Exam Result
- ECE Exam Results
- ECT Board Exam Result
- Environmental Planner Exam Result
- Featured Exam Results
- Fisheries Professional Exam Result
- Geodetic Engineering Board Exam Result
- Guidance Counselor Board Exam Result
- Interior Design Board Exam Result
- LET Exam Results
- Landscape Architect Board Exam Result
- Librarian Exam Result
- Master Plumber Exam Result
- Mechanical Engineering Exam Results
- MedTech Exam Results
- Metallurgical Engineering Board Exam Result
- Midwives Board Exam Result
- Mining Engineering Board Exam Result
- NAPOLCOM Exam Results
- Naval Architect and Marine Engineer Board Exam Result
- Nursing Exam Results
- Nutritionist Dietitian Board Exam Result
- Occupational Therapist Board Exam Result
- Ocular Pharmacologist Exam Result
- Optometrist Board Exam Result
- Pharmacist Licensure Exam Result
- Physical Therapist Board Exam
- Physician Exam Results
- Principal Exam Results
- Professional Forester Exam Result
- Psychologist Board Exam Result
- Psychometrician Board Exam Result
- REE Board Exam Result
- RME Board Exam Result
- Radiologic Technology Board Exam Result
- Real Estate Appraiser Exam Result
- Real Estate Broker Exam Result
- Real Estate Consultant Exam Result
- Respiratory Therapist Board Exam Result
- Sanitary Engineering Board Exam Result
- Social Worker Exam Result
- UPCAT Exam Results
- Upcoming Exam Result
- Veterinarian Licensure Exam Result
- X-Ray Technologist Exam Result
- Programming
- Smartphones
- Web Hosting
- Social Media
- SWERTRES RESULT
- EZ2 RESULT TODAY
- STL RESULT TODAY
- 6/58 LOTTO RESULT
- 6/55 LOTTO RESULT
- 6/49 LOTTO RESULT
- 6/45 LOTTO RESULT
- 6/42 LOTTO RESULT
- 6-Digit Lotto Result
- 4-Digit Lotto Result
- 3D RESULT TODAY
- 2D Lotto Result
- English to Tagalog
- English-Tagalog Translate
- Maikling Kwento
- EUR to PHP Today
- Pounds to Peso
- Binibining Pilipinas
- Miss Universe
- Family (Pamilya)
- Life (Buhay)
- Love (Pag-ibig)
- School (Eskwela)
- Work (Trabaho)
- Pinoy Jokes
- Tagalog Jokes
- Referral Letters
- Student Letters
- Employee Letters
- Business Letters
- Pag-IBIG Fund
- Home Credit Cash Loan
- Pick Up Lines Tagalog
- Pork Dishes
- Lotto Result Today
- Viral Videos
“No Man Is An Island” – Meaning Of This Well-Known Phrase
NO MAN IS AN ISLAND – In this topic, we are going to know about the phrase “No man is an island” and the following meaning.
According to Phrases, it is a quote from the English poet John Donne. It appeared in his work entitled: ” Upon Emergent Occasions and Seuerall Steps in my Sicknes – Meditation XVII , 1624 ” The phrase falls under the following text:
No man is an island entire of itself, Every man 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 any manor of thy friend’s, Or of thine own were. Any man’s death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.
The article says that the phrase stresses the idea that humans do badly when they are isolated from others and need to be part of a community in order to thrive.
In other words, he or she cannot do things all by himself or herself. It also stress the idea that in order to thrive in this world, one has to work with others.
READ ALSO: Lipunang Politikal: Ano Ang Lipunang Politkal? Kahulugan At Halimbawa
Leave a Comment Cancel reply
John Donne: “No Man Is an Island” Essay
Introduction.
Humans are used to live and communicate with others creating social organizations and social groups. A human being is asocial creature needed interaction and communication with people like “me”. The statement and position of John Donne is correct because it reflects principles of social organization and control. The human being must engage others, develop relationships, accrue goodwill, and establish a system of support network resources. In time of need, the individual must actively engage these social resources, seeking help and managing supportive exchanges. This process may require considerable social skill, skill that develops and gains sophistication slowly and with experience. The transactional nature of support processes represents another thread of continuity in social support over the life course (Neimeyer & Neimeyer 2002). The development, maintenance, and engagement of support resources is an active process from the first to the last year of life. This is not to say that the person can always manage support resources effectively and with ease, but rather that the behavior of the focal person matters. Indeed, the skills required in dealing with support resources very likely show developmental continuity.
“No man is an island” because throughout the individual’s life, a person engages in an active appraisal of the social world, of relationships with support network members and of the supportive behavior in which they have engaged. The young personalities may be less articulate about this than is the college-educated adult, but the process whereby special attention or its absence, treats or broken promises, come to be appraised in terms of one person’s feelings for another begins very early (Myers, 2002). The assessment of social standing becomes a veritable obsession during adolescence. Adolescents may be more tolerant, encompass a broader range of data, develop more elaborate appraisals, and be less volatile informing them, but the basic process shows considerable continuity. In short, although the details change, throughout his or her life the individual is engaged in appraising support resources and supportive behavior and in forming beliefs regarding the degree to which he or she is loved and cared for, respected and esteemed, and involved in a network of mutual obligation. The major functions are to provide supplementary assistance to the focal person in dealing with demands and achieving goals, to sustain feelings of being cared for and valued, and to sustain a sense of social identity and social location. “Conversely, lack or loss of interpersonal relationships leads to negative emotional experiences such as anxiety, depression, distress, loneliness, and feelings of isolation? (Carvallo and Gabriel 2006, p. 698).
Many research studies suggest that gender is irrelevant both to levels of support and to its effects on well-being. But quite a few studies find women advantaged when we focus on particular modes and/or sources of support, specifically, emotional support and friends (Kelly, 2002). Likewise, differences in support effects, when they are observed, tend to be specific with respect to cause, mode, and outcome although no clear pattern is yet evident. Future research will benefit from valid, reliable, and focused support measures. No doubt questions regarding gender differences will be specific rather than general and will be explored within the context of social-role and sex-role factors thought to underlie gender effects. Among middle-class people, social support showed a direct effect on distress, regardless of stress level (that is, the number of life events experienced). That is, the data for the middle class were consistent with a direct model whereas those for the lower class indicated a buffer model. Carvallo & Gabriel (2006) stated: “We expected that after receiving feedback of future interpersonal success, high-dismissing individuals would experience higher levels of positive affect relative to lowdismissing individual” (p. 704).
Isolation and loneliness are not natural for a man. However, support from family and friends was significantly more important for men than for women in the prediction of both life satisfaction and depression. Support from colleagues was significantly more important for women than for men in the prediction of anxiety. The relative importance of work and non-work support for men and women suggested by these findings is contrary to both common opinion and some previous findings (Dumm, 2008). Their focus was high-school change, specifically, grades and attendance, peer self-concept, and scholastic self-concept. Academic adjustment was associated with informal support for both boys and girls, whereas peer self-concept was associated with both informal and formal support among boys, but neither among girls. Thus the higher informal support reported by girls (noted earlier) was less beneficial than that available to boys (Dumm, 2008).
Social loneliness results from the lack of a network of social relationships and is associated with boredom and depression. In contrast, emotional loneliness results from the absence of a close and intimate attachment to another person and is associated with a sense of isolation and anxiety. The evidence for these propositions is qualified. There is an example of how support might be linked to psychological distress in a more particular manner than is evident in current research. First, regarding the view that people are especially independent and reluctant to seek help from others, a qualitative finding is relevant. In a small sample of families, Dumm (2008) found that half the women, but all the men, showed a negative network orientation: an unwillingness to utilize support resources because of mistrust, independence, or beliefs that others cannot provide help. This posture toward others, it is argued, impedes the growth, maintenance, and use of support resources with adverse effects on well-being. The authors note that regularized patterns of social conflict as well as support are evident in the social networks and that these differed by gender. The gender differences are modest but consistent. Especially for women, the “classically integrative institutions” of family, work, and support networks also contain significant elements of friction. Social support variables included the number of extended kin in the community and extended kin and nonkin support resources (those who would help with various problems) (Higdon, 2004). For instance, none of these support variables showed evidence of buffering the effects of either life events or chronic stressors, and only kin support resources showed an association with lower depression. Though, younger women reported particularly high levels of depression and of kin support resources. Further analyses showed no direct or buffer effects for either younger or older women and only one buffer effect for men. Those with more extended kin resources were affected relatively less by life events. Investigation of gender differences in social network precursors of loneliness, Stokes and Levin (1986) found that social network factors, particularly density, were better predictors of loneliness in men than women. In a second study, they explored the density finding further, focusing on same-sex friends. Findings indicated that more interconnected, cohesive social networks are associated with lower loneliness for men but not for women. These studies suggest a greater importance for certain social network factors for men than women, at least with respect to loneliness (Howard, 2005).
Critics suggest that the forming of a bond of attachment is programmed into the baby for sound biological reasons. People who stay close to another person are likely to benefit from an umbrella of protection against an environment which can be very harsh both in climate and predators. Therefore, people who have a trait to attach themselves to society stand a good chance of reaching maturity, and passing on their genes into the next generation, genes for the attachment trait. In that case, failure to form a bond in infancy, or the disruption of a bond, would be counter to the baby’s natural tendency, and as a result might have dire social, psychological and physical consequences (Cacioppo and Patrick, 2008).
“no man is an island” as there is an approach in which it makes sense that the person should attach himself to a parent is that the reward of love to the caring adult is likely to encourage her to return love and take the baby under her wing. I use the feathered metaphor here for good reason. The sociobiologists have demonstrated a primitive form of attachment in geese. He observed that shortly after hatching, the chicks would follow the parent wherever she went. This has implications for the survival of the chicks, so he wondered whether this tendency was innate. The chicks could not have a perfect image of their parent programmed into their brains from birth, so Lorenz wondered instead if they are programmed to attach themselves to the first conspicuous moving thing they see. This would almost certainly be the parent. Such experiences in themselves could be disturbing to the people, over and above the separation. Consequently, perhaps the particular circumstance of separation is the factor which gives rise to permanent emotional damage, and not so much the mere fact of separation. Clearly separation is traumatic for a person, but there is scope for emotional repair when normal family life resumes in many cases (Carvallo and Gabriel 2006).
People dot suffer from anxiety for obvious reasons. Instead, they suffer from ostracism. Critics claimed that girls believe that they have already been castrated in order to account for the difference between their own physiology and their brothers’ (Hawkley et al 2009). This causes a similar kind of anxiety and makes the girl hate the parent, but eventually identifies with her in order to get attention and favor from her father. The moral ideals of the parents, as perceived by the person, are assimilated into the personality as the appropriate moral code. The superego may place strain on the personality, since its values are usually unrealistic. However, it has the benefit of making the person considerate of others, and thus enables her to enter society as a conscientious and caring individual. Because of this, the personalities can move beyond the bounds of the family, and enter school and other institutions as a socialized person. In their study, Hawkley et al (2008) explain that: “Social control differences may explain lower activity levels in lonely individuals. Social control theory holds that internalized obligations to, and the overt influence of, network members tend to discourage poor health behaviors and encourage good health behaviors” (p. 354).
Attachment bonds, developed in early age, take various forms, and researchers have found it useful to place these forms into three broad categories. ‘Secure attachment’ is evident in approximately 50 to 67 % of parents’ relationships in industrialized countries. Researchers give the following example: when the parent returns to the room, following a short absence, the baby will often provide an overt display of delight at her return. The small person will smile, laugh, wave, and crawl towards her. If the parent picks him up, he will smile, kiss, hug and sink into her body. He will never act aggressively, pushing away, biting, hitting or squirming (Over and Carpenter 2009). The unsocially attached person seems susceptible to temper tantrums, throwing toys and hitting the parent. In the strange situation, when left alone with a stranger, these people are less likely to display overt anxiety, yet clearly are anxious since measures of heart rate show increase consistent with an anxiety experience. When the parent returns, the small child might avoid her, or move towards her but move away again without making any physical contact. The study made by Over and Carpenter (2009) suggests that: “Results showed that children primed with ostracism imitated the actions of a model significantly more closely than children not primed with ostracism. Interestingly, however, children in the two conditions did not differ in their tendency to turn on the light – every child did, or attempted to do this” (p. F5). Sex-role identity is the part of our personality which is responsible for our sex-appropriate behavior. Some behaviors stereotypically defined as male might be drinking beer, playing football, swearing, wearing trousers, smoking cigars or a pipe, flattering women, being decisive, being aggressive. Some stereotypical female sex-appropriate behaviors might be wearing lipstick, sewing, being unassertive, being emotional, wearing dresses, drinking cocktails, flirting with men, being defenseless, being submissive. Social learning approach makes a good deal of common sense. If people witness aggressive behavior, then that behavior will become legitimized to the person by the very fact that there is now a precedent for it (Over and Carpenter 2009).
In sum, the statement by John Donne is true as a man cannot live in isolation from society. As noted above, throughout a person’s life, other people help with services, information, money, or advice when there are needed to deal with a stressor or to achieve a goal. To a greater or lesser degree, they express caring, affection, and respect for the person; they help him maintain a sense of who he is and where he belongs.
Cacioppo, J. T., Patrick, W. 2008, Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection. W.W. Norton & Co.
Carvallo, M., Gabriel, Sh. 2006, No man Is an Island: The Need to Belong and Dismissing Avoidant Attachment Style. Personal Social Psychological Bulletin ; 32 (1), p. 697.
Dumm, Th. 2008. Loneliness as a Way of Life . Harvard University Press
Hawkley, L. C. Thisted, R. A., Cacioppo, J. T. 2009. Loneliness Predicts Reduced Physical Activity: Cross-Sectional & Longitudinal Analyses. Health Psychology American Psychological Association 28 (3), pp. 354–363
Higdon, Juliet. 2004. From Counselling Skills to Counsellor: A Psychodynamic Approach (Paperback). Palgrave Macmillan.
Howard, Susan. 2005. Psychodynamic Counselling in a Nutshell . Sage Publications Ltd, November.
Kelly, G. A. 2002. The psychology of personal constructs . New York: Norton.
Myers, David G. 2002. Psychology . Hope College. Worth Publishers, Holland, Michigan. Fourth edition.
Neimeyer, R. A. & Neimeyer, G. J. (Eds.) 2002. Advances in Personal Construct Psychology . New York: Praeger.
Over, H., Carpenter, M. 2009. Priming third-party ostracism increases affiliative imitation in children. Developmental Science 12 (3), pp F1–F8
- Chicago (A-D)
- Chicago (N-B)
IvyPanda. (2021, November 8). John Donne: "No Man Is an Island". https://ivypanda.com/essays/john-donne-no-man-is-an-island/
"John Donne: "No Man Is an Island"." IvyPanda , 8 Nov. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/john-donne-no-man-is-an-island/.
IvyPanda . (2021) 'John Donne: "No Man Is an Island"'. 8 November.
IvyPanda . 2021. "John Donne: "No Man Is an Island"." November 8, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/john-donne-no-man-is-an-island/.
1. IvyPanda . "John Donne: "No Man Is an Island"." November 8, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/john-donne-no-man-is-an-island/.
Bibliography
IvyPanda . "John Donne: "No Man Is an Island"." November 8, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/john-donne-no-man-is-an-island/.
- John Donne’s Poems and Their Reflections
- John Donne's Poetry Relate to the Culture
- John Donne’s and Emily Dickinson’s Poetry on Death
- John Donne and His Two Facet Poetry
- A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning by John Donne
- "Holy Sonnet 10" by John Donne
- The Poem "The Flea" by John Donne
- “The Sunne Rising” and “The Flea” Poems by John Donne
- Comparison of Shakespeare’s and Donne's Works
- Comparing John Donne's and Shakespeare's Sonnets
- Contemporary Communication in Modern Society
- Communication Skills in Human Life
- Social Work Effective Communication
- “What Women Want” from Sociological Perspective
- Communication and Gender: Management Communications With Technology Tools
No Man Is an Island
17 pages • 34 minutes read
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Poem Analysis
Symbols & Motifs
Literary Devices
Further Reading & Resources
Discussion Questions
Analysis: “No Man Is an Island”
Don't Miss Out!
Access Study Guide Now
Related Titles
By John Donne
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
Break of Day
Death Be Not Proud
Meditation 17
The Sun Rising
Featured Collections
Allegories of Modern Life
View Collection
British Literature
European History
Mortality & Death
Short Poems
no man is an island
- no one is self-sufficient; everyone relies on others somehow
- a person needs the support of others and society altogether to survive
- nobody is actually self-contained; everyone must depend on others in order to thrive
- to require help from others every now and then because of one’s limitations
Example Sentences
- Having children has taught me that no man is an island .
- No man is an island , you know, you will need to call me back to work for you!
- I have fired my maidservant today but know that I will have to hire her back since no man is an island !
- You need to relook at the proposal that you have sent to me. Almost all the actionable items are in the name of one person only, and I know that no man is an island .
- She tried doing it all by herself but broke down in six months because no man is an island .
- Prince Charles has made an emotional appeal to the European neighbours to continue working together after Brexit, saying: “ no man is an island .”
The saying was coined by the English metaphysical poet John Donne (1572-1631) in the sermon Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions and Seuerall Steps in my Sicknes – Meditation XVII – one of a series of essays he wrote when he was seriously ill in the winter of 1623.
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man 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 manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were. Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
John Donne was a Christian, but the concept of the idiom is likely to be coming from Buddhism. The phrase originates from the understanding of islands being self-sufficient and independent. It is compared with men because no matter how able, no person can do everything by themselves. Human beings are social animals and cannot function independently, the way islands do. The metaphor takes the literal meaning of how an island would never mingle with other parts of the land, but humans cannot do that because an island cannot move by itself and is bound where it is, but that is not the same for human beings.
Share your opinions 4 Opinions
No man is an island. No one is self-sufficient; everyone relies on others. This saying comes from a sermon by the seventeenth-century English author John Donne.
‒ Joshua R Jones July 3, 2018
Which country or nation this idiom is comimg from?
‒ Xezer April 24, 2018
The literary origin of this phrase is highly speculated to be John Donne’s “Devotion upon emergent occasions and seuerall steps in my sickness – Meditaion 17” from the year 1624 but the thought is speculated to be older than that.
Thank you, The Idioms Team.
‒ Fatima October 30, 2017
Does the origin of this having nothing to do with John Donne’s ‘Devotion 17’?
‒ Jane October 24, 2017
What's on your mind?
Life , Need , Social
Similar Idioms
- a friend in need is a friend indeed
- when life gives you lemons
- dig up dirt
- Solved Answers
- CBSE Prose XII
- Anglo Saxon Literature
- Pablo Neruda
- Rudyard Kipling
- Maya Angelou
- Matthew Arnold
- William Blake
- William Butler Yeats
- William Shakespeare
- William Wordsworth
- Rabindra Nath Tagore
- Robert Browning
- Robert Frost
- Indonesian High School Poems
- Indonesian University Poems
No Man is an Island Meaning, Summary and Analysis by John Donne
The phrase “No man is an island (unto himself)” has percolated into popular parlance, and the suggestive thought of man’s interconnectedness overruling the dictum of his individuality (or even insularity) is hardly a new thought for us. But in the Elizabethan age when John Donne had composed the meditation “No Man Is An Island”, the poem is structured in a peculiar fashion such that the resultant effect on reading it is not merely a realization of the universal humanity Donne is hinting at. Instead, it is the lifecycle of each mortal being, being propelled towards his inevitable death, and even God’s schemes which undermine that imagined community of men. Rather than being dismissed as a utopia, the meditation stresses the urgency of how man thrives in the company of his fellow human beings, and how he is but an insignificant component of the entire scheme, equipped with his own intrinsic set of functionalities and dispensations in the world-order.
Any individual human being, contrary to any antagonistic opinion he might be entitled to, cannot extricate himself from the rest of the living, breathing cosmic continuum and pretend to be complete of its own positionality, of the integrity of its stance. It is implausible for one man to grow and thrive in society without the love and affection of his fellow-citizens. Likening the isolated and insular man to an island, Donne insists how the individual is but a component of the larger mass of humanity, the “continent”, and can only exist in conjunction with the world outside.
The use of the island conceit here is effective in tracing the loci of human lives as bound with empty, endless seas (symbolic of trials, tribulations, perils, frustrations and such) as well as in proximity to other islands. The man is born to live out his life in the companion of other men, exposing his perceptions and insights to the adversities of an unfamiliar world, which he is an integral part of, and which also appears within the microcosm of the individual. The myth of self-sufficiency which has long been propagated for the “western man” as a master of nature as well as of the self is demolished at the very onset of the meditation.
Land, when eroded by the sea, simultaneously diminishes the size of the landmass in itself. The European continent, which has been alluded to here, also incidentally is nothing more than a vast island adrift in the breast of tremendous oceanic bodies and tectonic plates, yet which is also constituted by its variegated and innumerable populace. The loss of the individual eventually amounts to a diminution of the collective; the macrocosm is never entirely insulated from the ongoings of the microcosmic. The promontory jutting out of the sea is as exposed to the vagaries and scruples of destruction by the forces of the sea and the wind, as much as man is susceptible to the bereavement of what he holds near and dear. The poet might be condemning the superfluousness of the materialistic life in stating that the loss of a friend’s manor (or the
The promontory jutting out of the sea is as exposed to the vagaries and scruples of destruction by the forces of the sea and the wind, as much as man is susceptible to the bereavement of what he holds near and dear. The poet might be condemning the superfluousness of the materialistic life in stating that the loss of a friend’s manor (or the subjects own) might be a devastating loss of personal property for the owner concerned, but that equivalent importance must be attached by each one of us onto every singular person who forms a part of the world we too construct and inhabit.
Under these circumstances, any death of any one man cannot, for the narrator, be held as being circumscribed within the immediate family. The death of any one man sends out a ripple onto the world, which is diminished by his “deletion”, and the poet sees that as a tragedy for the human race. The “involvement” with mankind that Donne projects onto the narratorial voice is his and it is a politically charged commitment to humanity that is being propounded here. The personal is political and vice versa and boundaries can only sustain differences so far.
The death of a man does not signal the arrestation of that chapter in the book if life at all is to be perceived as a book penned down by the authoriality of the Divine Providence, but rather prepares the ground for the conversional transcendence of that chapter in his life. The bell which tolls in silent remembrance of the deceased is there to remind all of us that it is our loss. The collective “thee” refers to the unified race of humanity across all divisions and prescriptions of race, gender and so on, and resonates with the chiming of the bells.
The wholly isolated individual derides or is forgetful of the fact of his socially encoded existence, and of the many principles and ideas flowing in him, which are but regurgitated reproductions of ideas which have originated in the community of his brethren. There are a conspicuous exchange and transaction amongst all men, an organic connectedness which vibrates with life and vitality.
The eternal flux of human emotions can be imagined as a drama unfolding amidst the colossal sea underlying the scattered islands of human achievements. The individual, when attempting to discern his unique place in the world, cannot set up more lines of division than there already prevails. Cognizance of this oneness, of the commonality of what we all share in our identities and behaviors, can help combat the woes inflicted by the reality of mortality. Only death is capable of truly extricating one person from another, but even then, the deceased are never forgotten, and the saga continues to grow.
With no man existing unto himself, the suffering caused by singular deaths is shared by many, and by empathizing with the other’s grievance, the individual can also be awakened into the greater truth of his oneness. There is also a responsibility that accompanies the act of claiming emotional ties to other persons, and human beings can learn from the sufferings and experiences of their fellow brethren to better prepare themselves for their own deaths, which as was surely the belief in contemporary circulation, a transliteral migration to another world.
Some online learning platforms provide certifications, while others are designed to simply grow your skills in your personal and professional life. Including Masterclass and Coursera, here are our recommendations for the best online learning platforms you can sign up for today.
The 7 Best Online Learning Platforms of 2022
- Best Overall: Coursera
- Best for Niche Topics: Udemy
- Best for Creative Fields: Skillshare
- Best for Celebrity Lessons: MasterClass
- Best for STEM: EdX
- Best for Career Building: Udacity
- Best for Data Learning: Pluralsight
About the author
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Other related Posts
Subscribe to get latest update
No Man Is an Island – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Is your friend starting to isolate themselves away from the group? If so, you could tell him that " no man is an island " to get him to change his behavior. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this proverb.
The phrase " no man is an island " means that isolation is detrimental to a person's mental health. When we are alone, we start to develop changes to our mental state, and we can end up in severe mental distress if we don't talk to anyone.
An example is Tom Hank's character in " Castaway ," where he remains isolated for years, with only a volleyball named Wilson to talk to. The situation degrades his mental health, leaving him scarred emotionally from his ordeal.
As communal beings, humans need the company of others to maintain a normal, healthy mental state. " no man is an island " is a reminder that we all need communication, collaboration, and relationships in our lives. Leaving yourself on a figurative island won't do you any favors and can ruin your mental health.
Example Usage
"Listen, Jim. I know you think this project is under control, but no man is an island . I think it's too much responsibility for you to handle alone, and I'm giving you some team members to help."
"Why are you insistent on shouldering all the responsibility yourself? Don't you know that no man is an island , and we all need someone we can rely on in life?"
" No man is an island , and if you don't get out once in a while to see other people, you're going to develop social anxiety that ruins your quality of life."
"He shouldn't have to do everything by himself. No man is an island , and he deserves some help."
The origin of the phrase, " no man is an island ," comes from the author, John Donne. Donne used the term in his book, " Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions and Seuerall Steps in my Sickness - Meditation XVII," a collection of poems published in 1624.
" No man is an island entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main."
This idiomatic expression is Donne's most notable work and his biggest contribution to English.
Phrases Similar to No Man Is an Island
- You can't do it alone.
Phrases Opposite to No Man Is an Island
- You got this.
- You don't need any help.
What is the Correct Saying?
- No man is an island.
Ways People May Say No Man Is an Island Incorrectly
The phrase does not have anything to do with islands, and it can apply to men and women. Using the term usually means telling the person they should find help with what they are doing or thinking. Using the expression to describe that you're going to an island or thinking about living on an island is the incorrect use of the term.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase No Man Is an Island
You can use the expression, " no man is an island ," when you're trying to explain that isolation will not do them or anyone else any good. It's likely to impact their mental health and force them into a bad place.
The phrase can refer to men and women. Usually, you'll be using this phrase when you're trying to cheer someone up. Or when you're trying to tell them that they shouldn't bear the responsibility of everything in the situation themselves. It's also a way to tell someone to consider asking for help.
Related posts:
- Pass the Buck - Meaning, Origin and Usage
- See a Man about a Horse - Meaning, Origin and Usage
- You’re My Muse – Meaning, Origin and Usage
- How to Write a Letter to an Inmate
- Behind Every Great Man - Meaning, Origin and Usage
- Don't Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth - Meaning, Origin and Usage
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
No man is an island – Essay
No man is an island is a great quotation written by John Donne .
The meaning of this great quotation is that no person in this world can survive alone as all of us need a community or a group of people to enjoy a better life.
There are a lot of examples which can prove the quotation, “ no man is an island ”, is true and here are a few of those examples:
- When you live alone, no matter whether you buy a house or you rent a house, you will have to clean the apartment, make your food and do other maintenance works yourself. However, if you are living with a group of people, let’s take your family, then you don’t need to worry about the cleanliness and maintenance points as all of them would get taken care of your family members. Or if you live with your friends, you wouldn’t have to worry about cleaning your house daily, as your friends can also help you to clean it.
- Socialization has become really important nowadays because at some instance of our lives, we get the need of various kinds of people and during that time, if we haven’t socialized, we won’t get any help. However, if you have met enough persons and made enough friends, then you know that no matter what, somebody will always stand by you.
- People don’t get to know about it but living with parents or other family members create huge inner peace for us that we cannot get while living alone. A lonely person can think of some unusual instances and dreams that cannot get fulfilled but still we get depressed about not following those dreams. If the same would have happened when we are living with someone, then they would have made us understood that it was just a dream and we should move ahead in our lives.
- The biggest problem with people nowadays is that they have to feel lonely no matter what kind of entertainment they get. It is because they choose to live separately from their friends and families and when this decision gets made, then loneliness is naturally to be a part of your life.
- Research shows that people who like to live alone remain sad and depressed most of the times because they don’t have any support with them and they cannot get supported financial, mentally or even physically due to which anxiety and depression attacks are very natural.
- Living along with family and friends means that you will get to eat some delicious and nutritious food . Living alone means that a person will most probably eat chicken, fries, burgers, eggs and potatoes etc. However, living with friends and families offer you some delicious food items which you cannot make yourself.
- When you are in your old age, you need constant support and you need people who can offer you food, offer you your medicines and can make some healthy food items for you. If you opt to live alone in your young age, you wouldn’t have anyone to support at your old age due to which your end of life may be very soon.
So, if you are stressed up of hearing bad things about you from your parents and you opt to live alone, then you might be making a mistake. Living alone is good, but blocking the people from your life that love you very much can be problematic for you only. Because for the people that you are blocking, you aren’t the only person that they would be interacting to, however, you wouldn’t have any person to interact with when you block them. Unity is strength and from the entertainment point of view, from the ease of living point of view and the health point of view, living in a community is much better than living alone.
Dussehra: Short Essay on Dussehra for Students.
Junk Food: Short Essay on Junk Food
Abraham Lincoln: From Humble Beginnings to Legendary Leadership
Vikram Sarabhai: The Visionary Behind India’s Space Program
Essay on Mahavir Jayanti for all Class in 100 to 500 Words in English
Essay on Indian Heritage for Students and Children
Essay on Gender Equality
Eassy on Good Habits
Eassy on saving for future
Essay – My Dream
Pencil: An Essay on Pencil
Short Essay on Pencil
Comments are closed.
Welcome, Login to your account.
Recover your password.
A password will be e-mailed to you.
Home / Essay Samples / Literature / John Donne / “No Man is an Island”: A Thoughtful Deconstruction of the Proverb
"No Man is an Island": A Thoughtful Deconstruction of the Proverb
- Category: Literature , Philosophy
- Topic: John Donne , Meaning , Understanding
Pages: 2 (877 words)
- Downloads: -->
--> ⚠️ Remember: This essay was written and uploaded by an--> click here.
Found a great essay sample but want a unique one?
are ready to help you with your essay
You won’t be charged yet!
Lord of The Flies Essays
Frankenstein Essays
Beowulf Essays
Of Mice and Men Essays
Fahrenheit 451 Essays
Related Essays
We are glad that you like it, but you cannot copy from our website. Just insert your email and this sample will be sent to you.
By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.
Your essay sample has been sent.
In fact, there is a way to get an original essay! Turn to our writers and order a plagiarism-free paper.
samplius.com uses cookies to offer you the best service possible.By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .--> -->