Life

Sir Walter Raleigh 1552 (Hayes Barton, East Budleigh, Devon) – 1618 (London)



What is our life? A play of passion,
Our mirth the music of division,
Our mother's wombs the tiring-houses be,
Where we are dressed for this short comedy.
Heaven the judicious sharp spectator is,
That sits and marks still who doth act amiss.
Our graves that hide us from the setting sun
Are like drawn curtains when the play is done.
Thus march we, playing, to our latest rest,
Only we die in earnest, that's no jest.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 24, 2023

24 sec read
156

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCDAAEE
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 425
Words 79
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 10

Sir Walter Raleigh

Sir Walter Raleigh, also spelled Ralegh, was an English landed gentleman, writer, poet, soldier, politician, courtier, spy and explorer. more…

All Sir Walter Raleigh poems | Sir Walter Raleigh Books

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