A Litany in Time of Plague

The principle theme of Nashe’s “A Litany in Time of Plague” is that death and suffering are inevitable. The speaker’s constant refrain throughout each stanza sees them despair of sickness and lament that they “must die” (Line 6), as though death were the only conclusion to disease. Other language surrounding death in the poem is similarly fatalistic. Death is described as a “fate” (Line 24) that cannot be fought against with swords and a “destiny” (Line 37) to be welcomed and accepted. Similarly, while describing the inefficacy of medicine against the plague, the speaker asserts, “All things to end are made” (Line 11). In each moment of the poem, the speaker is singularly focused on a fated, inescapable end to “earth’s bliss” (Line 1) and their time on Earth.

Since death is the inevitable fate of all human beings, all attempts to resist that fate are futile and foolish. The speaker demonstrates this futility by depicting the various coping methods and forms of resistance people use to combat death. First, the speaker depicts the rich who, for all their wealth and access to medicine, “cannot buy” (Line 9) or guarantee their physical health.