A ballad is a song or songlike poem that tells a story.

Ballad

•The word ballad originally derived from an Old French word meaning “dancing song.”British Library, LondonIllumination from a French manuscript of Romance of the Rose (detail) (15thCentury).

Seven Ages Of Men By : William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

• William Shakespeare (baptized 26 April 1564; died 23 April 1616)was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays,154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Introduction To The Poem

• This poem is an extract from Shakespeare’s play, ‘As You Like It’. It is in the form of a speech by a character named Jacques. In it, Jacques compares the world to a stage. On this stage, each man plays the drama of his life. His drama consists of seven acts. These acts correspond to the seven ages in a man’s life. They are : 1. the infant, 2. the school boy, 3. the lover, 4. the soldier, 5. the justice, 6. the elderly gentleman, and lastly 7. the old man at the door of death. The poem analyses the characteristics of each age.

• All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players,They have their exits and entrances,And one man in his time plays many parts,His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.Then, the whining schoolboy with his satchelAnd shining morning face, creeping like snailUnwillingly to school. And then the lover,

Poem

• Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,Jealous in honor, sudden, and quick in quarrel,Seeking the bubble reputationEven in the cannon's mouth. And then the justiceIn fair round belly, with good capon lined,With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut,Full of wise saws, and modern instances,And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts

• Into the lean and slippers' pantaloon,With spectacles on nose, and pouch on side, His youthful hose well save's, a world too wide,For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,Turning again towards childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,That ends this strange eventful history,Is second childishness and mere oblivion,Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

The World Is A

Stage

• The Seven Ages of Man’ is taken from William Shakespeare’s famous play, ‘As You Like It’ describes the seven phases in a man’s life-from childhood to old age. The world is but a global stage and all men and women presented here are mere puppets in the hands of destiny. Just like the infrastructures of a stage, the world has its own entrances and exits. Every man in his full lifetime has many parts to play. His total number of acts in his lifetime is the seven ages.

First Stage Of A Man’s Life

• The first and foremost act of every human being is the stage of infancy, where he makes his presence felt by crying at the top of his voice and many a times vomiting any food or drink that is repulsive, at the nursing arms of his mother. This period normally last till four years of age.

Second Stage Of A Man’s Life

• The second stage is the ‘whining’ schoolboy where he learns to utter a plaintive, high-pitched, protracted sound, as in pain, fear, supplication, or complaint. His shiny morning face and his satchel; a small bag, sometimes with a shoulder strap; he creeps like a snail and not willing to go to school.

Third Stage Of A Man’s Life

• The third stage is his early youth, the peak of love . He sighs like a burning furnace and sings the sad ballads of love ; full of woe; affected with, characterized by, or indicating woe: woeful melodies; to impress his lover’s heart. The impression of her reply can be seen in her eyebrows.

Forth Stage Of A Man’s Life

• The fourth stage is that of a soldier where life if full of obligations, commitments, compliances, oaths and vows. His beard is like a leopard or panther. He endlessly fights for his honor, a full presence of mind which is sudden and quick in quarrel and a heart to maintain a dignified reputation.

Fifth Stage Of A Man’s Life

• The fifth stage is the adult-hood where a man tries to live a fair and justified life. His belly becomes bigger than normal. He is conscious about his diet and consumes a good intake. His eyes are severe with seriousness and his beard is leveled to a formal cut. He is to take a lot of correct decisions to keep up with the ever changing times. So this stage is the most powerful stage in life.

Sixth Stage Of A Man’s Life

• In this stage of life he is a thin and weak old man and his strength begins to weaken and spends more time within the roof of his house. He hangs his spectacles on his nose for reading and all his youthful hose; a flexible tube for conveying a liquid, as water, to a desired point; saved for the world too wide. His shank begins to shrink with time; the part of the lower limb in humans between the knee and the ankle; leg. Even his voice begins to descend to a lower tone. In his free time, he smokes his pipe and whistles his matured melodies.

Seventh Stage Of A Man’s Life

• The last stage is the old-age where he enters his second childhood. It is also the beginning of the end of his eventful history. It is also the stage of oblivion; the state of being completely forgotten or unknown; the state of forgetting or of being oblivious; official disregard or overlooking of offenses; He is without everything; without teeth, eyes and taste.