George Withers poem, By Knowledge, Life wee gaine, All other things to Death pertaine :: Philosophy Poet Poem Essays

George Withers meter, By Knowledge, Life wee gaine, All other things to end pertaineVivitur Ingenio Caetera Mortis Erut, roughly translated means, Live intellectually. In all other matters, death is master. This phrase borders the emblem of George Withers poem, By Knowledge, Life wee gaine, All other things to Death pertaine. This poem admonishes the reader to beware of a life too concerned with worldly pleasures, titles and treasures, which he says, belong to death and will return to him upon our death. He entreats us, rather, to concentrate on knowledge, honest actions, holy study and charity, which will provide a virtuous nature which cannot be removed by kings, time or death. In doubting Thomas Mores Utopia, we see an example of a people living by these examples, but in a self-motivated way. The fact that this society has adopted these sentiments as a purely logical survival mechanism can be seen in the differing attitudes between Utopian individual and Utopian nation toward e ducation and learning, wealth and virtue.The poems emblem shows a man, sitting under the Tree of Knowledge, with his hand on a stack of books contemplating lofty thoughts. He has his back turned from personified Death. George Wither says, That Knowledge, and that Treasure seeks to find, Which may meliorate thy Heart with perfect Joy. We are to understand that learning and knowledge are the most important things to occupy our time in the short life. The Utopian held the rash and learned man in the highest esteem, elevating him to positions of leadership and excusing him from the normal work duties of society. These leaders are tasked with upholding the laws and maintaining a balanced society. Utopians are skilled in music, dialectic, arithmetic, geometry...logistics, and devour up the Greek classic which Hythlodaeus brings to the island. The nation of Utopia, on the other hand, is quite different. It is a very closed society. It deals in the baser occupations of commerce and even b uys slaves from neighboring nations. The nation holds itself in such high regard that there are no lessons to be learned from its neighbors. Contrasting the wise man in the emblem is the skeleton save up treasures. Among these items are gold, a crown and a coat of arms representing, respectively, wealth, power and honor. These items are in the possession of death, apparently reverting to him after the foolish ones start out died. As a socialist society, everything is provided for and by Utopians.