Tamerlane

The ruler’s diadem is the first hint in the poem’s early stanzas to his true identity: “The fever’d diadem on my brow” (Line 28). A diadem is an ornamental headband made of metal, cloth, or jewels to signify royalty, though more practical and less cumbersome than the iconic crowns of European monarchs. The word “fever’d” (sometimes written as “fevered”) in Line 28 has a double meaning: It refers to the speaker’s encroaching illness as he faces the end of his life, as well as the discord of his leadership and way of life. This suggests that though the speaker has won the right to wear the crown, the road to gain it has not been an easy one.

Later, the speaker alludes to his crown again by calling himself “A diadem’d outlaw” (Line 176). This is a backhanded self-congratulation, as the speaker acknowledges how far he has come, yet is unable to shake the shadow of his pastoral roots. The word “crown” is also used in the poem, though in a slightly different context. The first is a description of a pastoral landscape: “We walk’d together on the crown / Of a high mountain” (Lines 139-49). Here it is used to mean “head” more than “ornament,” although the description given in this context displays the speaker’s view of the world and his aspirations.