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Difficulty: MediumExtended Metaphors and Conceits

Consider the following poem by Sir Walter Raleigh (written c. 1612):

What is our life? A play of passion;
Our mirth the music of division;
Our mothers' wombs the tiring-houses be,
Where we are drest for this short comedy.
Heaven the judicious sharp spectator is,
That sits and marks who doth act amiss;
Our graves that hide us from the searching 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.

In the poem, how does the final line ("Only we die... no jest") modify or shift the extended metaphor established in the preceding lines?

  1. A
    It provides a literal description of how actors exit the stage after a performance is completed.
  2. B
    It directly references the author's personal distress and fear of his own impending execution.
  3. It contrasts the temporary, illusory nature of a theatrical performance with the permanent reality of human mortality.Answer
  4. D
    It reinforces the lighthearted, comic tone established by describing life as a 'short comedy.'
  5. E
    It abandons the theatrical conceit entirely to introduce a separate, unrelated metaphor about joking.

Answer

The correct answer contrasts the temporary, illusory nature of a theatrical performance with the permanent reality of human mortality.
The correct answer identifies that the final line of the poem shifts from the play metaphor by contrasting stage performance (where actors pretend to die) with the actual, permanent, and irreversible nature of human death. This creates a conceptual pivot that highlights the gravity of mortal existence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the vehicle of the extended metaphor in lines 1-8.
The poem compares human life (the tenor) to a theatrical play (the vehicle), mapping birth to dressing rooms ('tiring-houses'), happiness to musical interludes ('music of division'), God to an observer ('judicious sharp spectator'), and graves to closed curtains.
Establishing the initial comparative framework is necessary to identify subsequent developments.
2
Examine the transition in line 9.
The line 'Thus march we playing to our latest rest' acts as a bridge, summarizing the journey of life as a continuous performance leading to the grave.
This line prepares the reader for the final resolution of the extended metaphor.
3
Interpret the shift in the final line ('Only we die in earnest, that's no jest').
The final line contrasts the simulation of the play with the reality of death. While actors pretend to die on stage and then return to real life, humans experience literal, irreversible death.
Analyzing this shift reveals the thematic purpose of the conceit, showing that the playful comparison has a serious, realistic limitation.

Key Concept

Extended Metaphors and Conceits
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Extended Metaphors and Conceits

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