Thou'art slave to fate chance kings and desperate men And dost with poison war and sickness dwell And poppy'or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke why swell'st thou then One sh?

Answer 1

This excerpt reflects on the inevitability of fate and the various forces that govern human life, such as chance, power, and suffering. It suggests that despite the presence of death, represented by "thy stroke," there are other means to escape life's hardships, like sleep or intoxication. The speaker questions the authority of death, implying that there are alternatives to its finality. Ultimately, it highlights the tension between the inevitability of mortality and the desire for transcendence through different forms of relief.