Welcome to Poetry.com!
Poetry.com brings together poets from every corner of the world to share, discover, and celebrate the written word. Whether you're writing your first verse or refining your craft, you'll find a welcoming community ready to read your work and share theirs.
Join our monthly poetry contests and gain recognition from a global community. Earn rewards through participation, and enhance your poems with AI-generated images, voice readings, and intelligent feedback to refine your writing.
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each 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 thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
About this poem
"No man is an island" is a phrase that comes from a poem by the English poet John Donne, titled "Meditation XVII". The poem was published in 1624 as part of Donne's collection of essays and meditations, "Devotions upon Emergent Occasions". The poem explores the theme of interconnectedness and the shared experience of humanity. The speaker argues that every person is connected to others, and that each individual's experiences and actions have an impact on the larger community. The phrase "no man is an island" has become a popular expression that highlights the importance of social connection and the need for human interaction and support. The poem's timeless message has resonated with readers throughout the centuries, making it one of Donne's most famous works. more »
Translation
Find a translation for this poem in other languages:
Select another language:
- - Select -
- 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
- 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
- Español (Spanish)
- Esperanto (Esperanto)
- 日本語 (Japanese)
- Português (Portuguese)
- Deutsch (German)
- العربية (Arabic)
- Français (French)
- Русский (Russian)
- ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
- 한국어 (Korean)
- עברית (Hebrew)
- Gaeilge (Irish)
- Українська (Ukrainian)
- اردو (Urdu)
- Magyar (Hungarian)
- मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
- Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Italiano (Italian)
- தமிழ் (Tamil)
- Türkçe (Turkish)
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
- ภาษาไทย (Thai)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- Čeština (Czech)
- Polski (Polish)
- Românește (Romanian)
- Nederlands (Dutch)
- Ελληνικά (Greek)
- Latinum (Latin)
- Svenska (Swedish)
- Dansk (Danish)
- Suomi (Finnish)
- فارسی (Persian)
- ייִדיש (Yiddish)
- հայերեն (Armenian)
- Norsk (Norwegian)
- English (English)
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Poetry.com" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LTD, 2026. Web. 18 Mar. 2026. <https://www.poetry.com/>.
Share Your Thoughts — Earn Rewards!
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In