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Literary
September 10, 1835
Virginia Free Press
Charles Town, Jefferson County, West Virginia
What is this article about?
James Shirley's 17th-century poem 'Death's Final Conquest' contemplates the universality of death, which reduces kings to the level of peasants and renders worldly glories transient, while virtuous deeds alone persist beyond the grave. Born 1596, died 1666.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
DEATH'S FINAL CONQUEST.
BY JAMES SHIRLEY.
The glories of our blood and state
Are shadows, not substantial things;
There is no armour against fate;
Death lays his icy hands on kings:
Sceptre and crown
Must tumble down,
And in the dust be equal made
With the poor crooked scythe and spade.
Some men with swords may reap the field,
And plant fresh laurels where they kill;
But their strong nerves at last must yield;
They tame but one another still.
Early or late
They stoop to fate,
And must give up their murmuring breath
When they, pale captives, creep to death.
The garlands wither on your brow;
Then boast no more your mighty deeds;
Upon death's purple altar now
See where the victor-victim bleeds:
All heads must come
To the cold tomb:
Only the actions of the just
Smell sweet, and blossom in their dust.
Born 1596.
Died 1666.
BY JAMES SHIRLEY.
The glories of our blood and state
Are shadows, not substantial things;
There is no armour against fate;
Death lays his icy hands on kings:
Sceptre and crown
Must tumble down,
And in the dust be equal made
With the poor crooked scythe and spade.
Some men with swords may reap the field,
And plant fresh laurels where they kill;
But their strong nerves at last must yield;
They tame but one another still.
Early or late
They stoop to fate,
And must give up their murmuring breath
When they, pale captives, creep to death.
The garlands wither on your brow;
Then boast no more your mighty deeds;
Upon death's purple altar now
See where the victor-victim bleeds:
All heads must come
To the cold tomb:
Only the actions of the just
Smell sweet, and blossom in their dust.
Born 1596.
Died 1666.
What sub-type of article is it?
Poem
Elegy
What themes does it cover?
Death Mortality
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Death Conquest
Mortality
Kings Equality
Just Actions
Icy Hand Fate
What entities or persons were involved?
By James Shirley.
Literary Details
Title
Death's Final Conquest.
Author
By James Shirley.
Subject
Meditation On Death's Conquest Over All
Key Lines
Sceptre And Crown
Must Tumble Down,
And In The Dust Be Equal Made
With The Poor Crooked Scythe And Spade.
Early Or Late
They Stoop To Fate,
And Must Give Up Their Murmuring Breath
When They, Pale Captives, Creep To Death.
All Heads Must Come
To The Cold Tomb:
Only The Actions Of The Just
Smell Sweet, And Blossom In Their Dust.