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Fear no more the heat o’ the sun,
Nor the furious winter’s rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta’en thy wages:
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.
Nor the furious winter’s rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta’en thy wages:
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.
Fear no more the frown o’ the great,
Thou art past the tyrant’s stroke;
Care no more to clothe and eat;
To thee the reed is as the oak:
The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this, and come to dust.
Fear no more the lightning-flash,
Nor the all-dreaded thunder-stone;
Fear not slander, censure rash;
Thou hast finished joy and moan:
All lovers young, all lovers must
Consign to thee, and come to dust.
~ WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Theresa Kane says that she likes this poem ... because it is so exhilarating. It sweeps me along in the splendid, stormy words, then there is the quiet, peaceful lagoon of the last two lines of each
verse. It is a wonderful poem, as hard, proud and fierce as a rock in a storm.
verse. It is a wonderful poem, as hard, proud and fierce as a rock in a storm.
~ [from I Like This Poem, ed. Kaye Webb, 1979, (International Year of the Child), Puffin Books, p. 154, 14-year-olds]
Summary:
The Poem 'Fear No More' is taken from Shakespeare's play 'Cymbeline'. He describes death as the ultimate destination in life. A person's soul does not experience any kind of feeling and is immune to the heat or cold during different seasons. Even when one loses one's home, money does not matter. Death does not discriminate between a chimney sweeper and a rich person. One does not have to care about food or clothes or earning the wrath of God after death. Every person has to face death in his life irrespective of the profession or value he holds. He does not have to fear criticisms or false allegations. All young people should have in mind that they will one day have to face death. Sister Theresa Kane, Associate Professor of Behavioural Sciences, has revealed in the excerpt of 'I Like This Poem' that the last two lines are hard-hitting as it clearly explains that human beings are nothing but dust in the end. She says that the entire stanza keeps hitting the readers with realities of death similar to being in a storm, but the last two lines appear as a lagoon, which is a shallow water body separated from the larger body. She feels the poem is as hard as a rock as it hits one with the trivialities of life by giving a picture of death.
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2006). Beehive. Fear No More- William Shakespeare (pp.137). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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