A Burnt Ship

A Burnt Ship by John Donne

This poem is similar to Complete Destruction, as it discusses the complete destruction of a ship and all its passengers. However, I think it goes deeper, and it examines both choosing between evils and the inevitability of death. The sailors must choose between burning with the ship, drowning in the water, or being shot by their enemies. This shows how death is inescapable; no sailor can escape it, and all perish. While we will not all die in a battle at sea, this can be expanded to the whole human race. Whether it is due to heart failure, cancer, or a car accident, death will eventually come.