Death, be not proud

"Death, be not proud, though some have called thee"

The poem utilizes continuous form.  I noticed the personification of death in the poem.  The speaker is angry towards.  The speaker tells death not to be proud.  Obviously, the speaker is either afraid of death and trying to overcome his fear by falsely assuming dominance over it, or he actually isn't afraid of death.  The speaker mentions "those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not." This regards death as not the end, pointing to an after life.  Therefore, I believe the speaker isn't afraid of death, as he believes in the afterlife.  Believing in the afterlife in a way mitigates the fear of death, because in this regard, death is seen as a the beginning of a new life.