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Death The Leveller - Notes

The poem discusses how death is the great leveler of humanity. It notes that though some may achieve power through their status or conquests, death ultimately comes for all regardless of station or achievements. Where one is buried, whether in a grand tomb or in humble dust, death reduces all to the same end. The only things that may transcend death are the good deeds and just actions of people, which can continue to influence others even after passing.

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Binumon T M
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785 views

Death The Leveller - Notes

The poem discusses how death is the great leveler of humanity. It notes that though some may achieve power through their status or conquests, death ultimately comes for all regardless of station or achievements. Where one is buried, whether in a grand tomb or in humble dust, death reduces all to the same end. The only things that may transcend death are the good deeds and just actions of people, which can continue to influence others even after passing.

Uploaded by

Binumon T M
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Death the Leveller

Activity -1 (Read and respond)

Question 1.
Why does the poet think that the glories of our blood and state are shadows?
Answer:
The poet thinks that the glories of our blood and state are shadows because they are not substantial or concrete
things. They don’t last.

Question 2.
What do ‘sceptre and crown’ and ‘scythe and spade’ stand for and what do they symbolize?
Answer:
Sceptre and crown stand for the royal glory, splendour and power of rulers. Scythe and spade stand for the tools
of workers. Sceptre and crown symbolizes kings (authority) whereas scythe and spade symbolize ordinary
people (the masses).

Question 3.
Why does the poet say that ‘there is no armour against fate’?
Answer:
The poet says that ‘there is no armour against fate’ because death comes to everyone. Nobody can resist it. No
armour will protect you against death.

Question 4.
‘Some men with swords may reap the field’- What does this mean?
Answer:
It means some powerful conquerors might attack other lands and occupy them. Alexander the Great, Napoleon
and Hitler are good examples of such mighty men.

Question 5.
What is the fate of the men with swords who hope to reap the field?
Answer:
They also die, as they have to bend before fate. All are captives of the mighty Death.

Question 6.
What does ‘Death’s purple altar’ refer to?
Answer:
It refers to the inevitable death. It also refers to the battle grounds where blood flows and the grounds are made
purple with the colour of blood. Thus it means bloodshed.

Question 7.
What does the phrase ‘victor-victim’ mean?
Answer:
It is means the conqueror and the conquered, the triumphant and the defeated, the master and the slave.

Question 8.
What can survive death ? What are the things that blossom in the dust? Why?
Answer:
The actions of the just, the good deeds of the righteous people, can survive death. The good actions blossom in
the dust because people will remember them and the aroma of the good actions will continue to waft in the air.

Question 9.
Why is death called the Leveller?
Answer:
Death is called the Leveller because Death shows no distinction and he carries off everybody alike – high and
low, rich and poor, strong and weak – reducing them all to dust. He is an equalizer in whose eyes everybody is
equal. He levels everybody to one size!

Activity – II (Read the reflect)

Question 10.
Elaborate the ideas in the following lines:
Answer:
i) Only the actions of the just Smell sweet and blossom in the dust.
All people have to die. Kings and clowns, scholars and illiterates, rich and poor, high and low – all will die and
become dust. The actions of the just, the good deeds of the righteous people, can survive death. The good
actions blossom in the dust because people will remember them and the aroma of the good actions will continue
to waft in the air.

ii) The glories of our blood and state


Are shadows, not substantial things;
There is no armour against Fate.
The glory or our birth and our state are simply like shadows, not substantial, not concrete, not things that will last
for long. There is no way we can escape from death. Whether we are born high or low, whether we are powerful
or not, death will come to us and no shield of any kind will protect us from death.

Question 11.
The following words are taken from the poem. Parse (Describe the grammatical function) them.
Answer:

 Armour – noun
 wither – verb
 But – Conjunction
 tame – verb
 Murmuring – adjective
 stoop – verb
 Boast – verb
 tumble – verb
 Where – adverb
 reap – verb
 Cold – adjective
 boast – verb
 Sweet – adverb
 bleeds – verb

Activity – III (Analysis)

Question 12.
Examine the rhyme scheme of the poem. What effect does it produce?
Answer:
The rhyme scheme of the poem is: ababccdd. It gives the poem a high musical quality.

Couplet: A couplet consists of two lines of poetry that rhyme with each other and are of the same length: e.g.
“Sceptre and crown Must tumble down,”

Question 13.
Can you identify more couplets from the poem?
a) “Early or late ,
They stoop to fate”
b) “ murmuring breath
creep to death”
c) “actions of the just
blossom on their dust”

Figures Of Speech : Study the notes given on page 69.


Identify the figure of speech in ‘Death lays icy hands on kings’ – Personification

Pick out example of metaphor, metonymy and oxymoron in the poem.


Answer:
Metaphor:
i) glories are shadows.
ii) Actions of the just smell sweet.

Metonymy :
i) sceptre and crown
ii) scythe and spade

Oxymoron : victor-victim bleeds. Normally it is only the victims that bleed.

Activity – IV (Appreciation)
Question 14.
Now attempt and appreciation of the poem.

The poem ‘Death the Leveller’ by James Shirley is a fine poem that teaches us a god lesson. It says that our
earthly glories are mere shadows. There is no shield against Fate. Death comes to all. Even the mightiest will be
levelled with the poorest by Death, who is a leveller. Some men may make big conquests but their strong nerves
finally become weak. Finally they also die as poor, pale prisoners of fate. So do not boast about your great
actions. On the altar of death victor and the vanquished bleed alike. However great you are, your head must
come to the cold tomb. Only the good actions of the just people will be remembered by posterity.

The poem has fine imagery. The poet has used many figures of speech like simile, metaphor, metonymy and
oxymoron. These figures make the poem very interesting. The poem is in rhyme with the scheme ababccdd. It
has a fine rhythm and it is very melodious.

The poem has a fine message: Death levels everyone. He treats all alike. All, kings and clowns, scholars and the
illiterate, the rich and the poor, end up in dust. So we should not boast about our capabilities and achievements.
We should remember that all of us are children of God and we all go back to the same dust. Death is a great
leveller.

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