Here is the text of Vaughan's "Easter Hymn":
Death, and darkness get you packing,
Nothing now to man is lacking,
All your triumphs now are ended,
And what Adam marr'd, is mended;
Graves are beds now for the weary,
Death a nap, to wake more merry;
Youth now, full of pious duty,
Seeks in thee for perfect beauty,
The weak, and aged tir'd, with length
Of days, from thee look for new strength,
And infants with thy pangs contest
As pleasant, as if with the breast;
Then, unto him, who thus hath thrown
Even to contempt thy kingdom down,
And by his blood did us advance
Unto his own inheritance,
To him be glory, power, praise,
From this, unto the last of days.
What is interesting to me about this poem its similarities to John Donne's (1572-1631) famous sonnet "Death Be Not Proud." Both poems address a personified Death, and both deride Death's pretentions to being "mighty and dreadful, to quote Donne. Moreover, both seem to delight in paradox. In Donne's poem, Death cannot "kill" the poet, but will, in fact, "die," itself, and in Vaughan's, the "weak, and aged..." seek in Death "new strength."
There are, however, some clear differences between the two poems. For one thing, Vaughan's mockery of Death is inspired by thoughts of Christ's Resurrection at Easter (as its title suggests), while Donne's is inspired by the Christian doctrine of immortality. In addition, there is a definite difference in tone between the two poems. Donne's poem seems rather solemn in mood--despite its mocking of Death--while Vaughan's seems more light-hearted.
Nevertheless, despite their differences, both poems express an important message about the hope of life everlasting, which Christians throughout the world celebrate this day. That message is especially meaningful for me personally, given that in the past few months two members of my own family have passed away. It is comforting to think that for them, Death has truly "died."
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Have a joyful Easter!
Image of Paalo Veronese's "The Resurrection of Christ" from Wikimedia Commons