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Having trouble interpreting the last stanza of this poem

 
 
poetree
 
Reply Wed 8 Nov, 2006 09:08 pm
A Satirical Elegy On the Death of a Late Famous General
By: Jonathan Swift

His Grace! impossible! what, dead!
Of old age, too and in his bed!
And could that Mighty Warrior fall?
And so inglorious, after all!
Well, since he's gone, no matter how,
The last loud trump must wake him now;
And, trust me, as the noise grows stronger,
He'd wish to sleep a little longer.
And could he be indeed so old
As by the newspapers we're told?
Threescore, I think, is pretty high;
'Twas time in conscience he should die.
This world he cumbered long enough;
He burnt his candle to the snuff;
And that's the reason, some folks think,
He left behind so great a stink.
Behold his funeral appears,
Nor widow's sighs, nor orphan's tears,
Wont at such times each heart to pierce,
Attend the progress of his hearse.
But what of that, his friends may say,
He had those honors in his day.
True to his profit and his pride,
He made them weep before he died.

Come hither, all ye empty things,
Ye bubbles raised by breath of kings;
Who float upon the tide of state,
Come hither, and behold your fate.
Let Pride be taught by this rebuke,
How very mean a thing's a Duke;
From all his ill-got honors flung,
Turned to the dirt from whence he sprung.




The first stanza seems simple enough, but I'm having trouble interpreting what the 2nd stanza of this poem is saying, and I'm also having trouble with what certain things refer to (e.g. "all ye empty things", "bubbles raised by breath of kings", "tide of state"). Could anyone shed some light on this? Very Happy

Thanks. Smile
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InfraBlue
 
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Reply Wed 8 Nov, 2006 10:24 pm
"All ye empty things" refers to things like honors, and pride. They are like "bubbles raised by breath of kings," in that much significance is given to these honors bestowed by kings, or people in positions of power. These honors tend to engender pride in the individuals to whom they are directed. In the end though, they are merely words, "bubbles," that "float upon the tide of state," or in other words the current affairs of a state, i.e., a nation or country.

Bubbles are transitory things. They are ephemeral, and temporal. They do not last. Words of honor are similar. So is pride. Ultimately, these things don't matter when one is dead, "turned to the dirt" from whence one sprung.

Has this helped any?

Welcome to A2K, poetree.
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