What is the theme of John Donne's "Meditation 17?"

The main theme of John Donne's poem "Meditation 17" is about mortality. Another theme of the poem is the similarities between everyone's lives; we all face the same fate.

John Donne wrote this poem in 1624 in Europe, at a time when he was near death himself. As he writes about his own impending death, he shares the universality of his experience being prepared to die soon. He also underscores the interconnectedness of humanity through his statement that no individual is an island, since everyone was created by God. He argues that due to humanity's interconnectedness, the death of one affects all.