What is the theme of “The Seven Ages of Man” by William Shakespeare?
The poem deals with the theme of growing up and growing old. The poet talks a lot about the changes that the body and the mind go through as a man grows old. He talks about changing priorities, from the child being concerned about lessons and then love and finally money and security. At another level, the poem talks about the inevitability of change. Man constantly changes and death is inevitable—Shakespeare mentions I “mere oblivion” in the ending lines, giving some sort of finality to his ideas, showing that you can live your life, but everyone has to die.
