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What is Our Life

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

WHAT is our life? The play of passion.
Our mirth? The music of division:
Our mothers’ wombs the tiring-houses be,
Where we are dressed for life’s short comedy.
The earth the stage; Heaven the spectator is,   
Who sits and views whosoe’er doth act amiss.
The graves which hide us from the scorching sun
Are like drawn curtains when the play is done.
Thus playing post we to our latest rest,
And then we die in earnest, not in jest.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 03, 2023

26 sec read
337

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCDAAEE
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 444
Words 89
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 10
Full analysis for What is Our Life »

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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