Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Lordy, Lordy....

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms;
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin'd,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well sav'd, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything."

— Jaques (Act II, Scene VII, lines 139-166)

4 comments:

Cat Urbigkit said...

What a fitting ode on this day. Happy Birthday!

Steve Bodio said...

Still just a kid! Happy birthday Matt!

Matt Mullenix said...

I've heard numerous well-wishes from FB friends and in-person friends alike today. Shelly got me three good Belgian ales... Thanks to all!

(Soliloquy: Should add just for rigor the lines are from As You Like It)

mdmnm said...

Belated well wishes. Hey, a whole new decade!