death the levller appreciation
Answers
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.
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