William Shakespeare Fear No More
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.
ear no more the frown of 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-dread 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.
No exorciser harm thee!
Nor no witchcraft charm thee!
Ghost unlaid forbear thee!
Nothing ill come near thee!
Quiet consummation have;
And renowned be thy grave!
“Fear No More,” by William Shakespeare, a literary theory point of view by Doug Novak
In “Fear No More” Shakespeare uses simple language to emphasize the themes; however, he uses complex metaphors to represent the struggles of life. This style causes the reader to disregard the opposition to a peaceful death. Emphases on specific areas of the poem are created by the use of applied diction. Shakespeare’s attitudes towards death are relayed through the euphonic flow of the poem. He utilizes repetition to appeal to the audience and imagery to reveal the theme. The theme of the poem is the significance of death, and the fear that surrounds it. He encourages us to not fight against, but rather to invite death when it comes. This argument is foreshadowed in the title, and is reiterated throughout the entire poem. “Fear No More” begins each of the three stanzas, drawing attention to his belief that we should welcome death in whatever form it presents itself. The poem shows the futility of resisting and denying death, as well as the commonality we all share in the phrase “all must….come to dust.” He is adamant that the inevitability of death is reason enough to not fear it. In the first stanza he applies the theme to a wide audience with many fears addressed. In the second stanza he relates the theme to our fear of people’s perceptions of us, “frown o’ the great”, and the loss of our daily routines, “Care no more to clothe and eat.” He makes the case that when death arrives these will no longer matter, “To thee the reed is as the oak.” In the third stanza he re-emphasizes the first two; however he adds the thought that we should enjoy our life’s experiences, both good and bad, while we are still able to. This belief he makes clear in the statement “Thou hast finished joy and moan. All lovers’ young, all lovers must/ Consign to thee, and come to dust.”