Poem The Last Conqueror.
“
Devouring Famine, Plague, and War,
Each able to undo mankind,
Death's servile emissaries are;
Nor to these alone confined,
He hath at will
More quaint and subtle ways to kill;
A smile or kiss, as he will use the art,
Shall have the cunning skill to break a heart.
— James Shirley
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Devouring Famine, Plague, and War,
Each able to undo mankind,
Death's servile emissaries are;
Nor to these alone confined,
He hath at will
More quaint and subtle ways to kill;
A smile or kiss, as he will use the art,
Shall have the cunning skill to break a heart." in the context of "Poem The Last Conqueror." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "James Shirley" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About James Shirley
James Shirley (or Sherley) (September 1596 – October 29, 1666) was an English poet and dramatist.
About James Shirley
James Shirley (or Sherley) (September 1596 – October 29, 1666) was an English poet and dramatist.
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