A Litany in Time of Plague

Thomas Nashe’s “A Litany in Time of Plague” induces many different rhetorical techniques to portray a somber, yet uplifting view of the Black Death. First, it is important to note that a “litany” is a prayer in which a series of invocations is made by a leader, followed by fixed responses from a congregation. This can be related to the poem in that the structure of this poem follows just this format. All throughout “A Litany in Time of Plague,” the phrase, “I am sick, I must die. Lord, have mercy on us!” is repeated at the end of each stanza. The context of this line seems to change as the poem progresses, even though it is simply the “response” of a people. The speaker in “Litany” consistently makes appeals (to God) concerning death and life thereafter.

The first stanza addresses the frailty of life itself. The speaker (perhaps a preacher of some sort) views life (and death) as uncertain in the sense that it could end in a second. Accompanied with the notion that we are but Death’s toys, this absolute assessment of life sets a mood that, in all likelihood, was motivated by the seemingly eminent death of each person in this time period.

In the heart of the poem (stanzas 3-4), there is an allusion to Queen Helen and Prince Hector, both characters of the Homeric epic The Iliad. Both characters were fruitful symbols of youth and prosperity (though Helen is often viewed as treacherous) whose lives were taken before “their time.” This significant reference brings forth, once again, the belief that life is short and can often end in an instant. Nashe follows this thought with the idea, that although our lives may be coming to an end, we (humanity) were destined to face death eventually.

In the final stanza, the speaker appeals to his audience (the congregation) with this very thought, “Heaven is our heritage, Earth but a player’s stage; Mount we unto the sky.” This conclusion, that we were all born to die and that our time on Earth is simply a buffer between conception and the journey beyond, is, in essence the sad truth that many victims of the plague had to come to terms with. This poem vocalizes the cries of a people.