Question

appreciation for the poem death the leveller

Answer 1

In this poem ‘Death The Leveler’, James Shirley portrays death

and fate as omnipotent powers that overpower everyone – even the mighty kings

and warriors have to yield before their might.

In the first stanza the poet compares man’s glories of blood

and state of kings and prices to mere shadows. Fate can pierce any armour;

death, personified as the omnipotent Yama (god of death) spares no king. When

it comes to claim life back, they have to yield it. They are turned into dust

in their graves. So, death is a great leveler that does not differentiate

between the rich and the poor.

In the second stanza the poet brings to light the fact even

the mightiest of warriors who won many wars and laurels for themselves after

killing thousands of people have to yield to death and fate; and finally death

also turns them into dust.

In the last stanza, the poet warns man not to boast about his

so called mighty deeds as they will be rendered useless by death. All the

victorious and defeated have to offer themselves at the altar of death. The

poet ends the poem on a very positive note. According to him though death turns

all into dust, yet the actions of the righteous, noble people sprout, blossom

and smell sweetly like flowers for ever.