Dickinson and Donne on Death

Two poets personify death as a figure that encourages acceptance of the passage and is viewed as a victory.

Death is a fact of life, but it is not necessarily the end. "The Death of Rachel" by Italian artist Giambettino Cignaroli. Public Domain

Death assumes a wide array of disguises in art and literature. He appears as a reaper, a horseman, a ferryman, an angel, and an old friend. He is usually personified as a male figure. Across these depictions, death is inviting, conquering, ruthless, or sometimes even comforting. Taken all together, death appears rather mercurial.