Theme Of Equality By Tom Wayman

T: The theme of the poem is that of equality. Repetitively, the speaker compares himself and other people who might feel identify with him by the used of “we” in lines 1,6 and 8. He criticizes “others” and how their attitude is negatively towards him. Therefore, he is not allowing this injustice and opposes his current condition and demands a change by expressing they should “beguile their limbs with mellow flute” (Cullen 6). This might refer to take action and not to continue suffering or “weeping” for what the speaker has struggled (8). Furthermore in the last stanza the speaker shifts tone and expresses equality clearly in that a “dark star” is no different than “white stars” (10). At the end, the speaker finishes his poem with the imagery
of “plant” and “seeds” to express that in the dark not only can make “buds bloom” but also be restorative and protective (1,14).
T: Overall, the poem describes the passing of the years in the speaker. Time passes by without stopping as seasons like autumn when “few yellow leaves hang” and the “cold” winter (Shakespeare 2,3). It is the cycle of life that the speaker is slowly approaching the end of his life. His last breath of life and his youth is extinguishing like “ashes of fire” and that sadly will “expire” as a “death-bed” (10,11). The speaker accepts his future demise in “leave ere long” but there is someone that still remains and that is “love” (14). Even though the youth of the speaker is already taken away from him hopefully love will persist strongly even though he departs from this world.