What does "Some men with swords may reap the field" mean in "Death the Leveller"?

In "Death the Leveller," James Shirley reminds us that death ultimately brings everyone down to the same level. It doesn't matter how rich or powerful you are: whether you're a king, a queen, or a great general in charge of thousands of soldiers, one day you will die, just like everyone else.

The lines "Some men with swords may reap the field / And plant fresh laurels where they kill" refer to how brave soldiers are often rewarded for their heroic endeavors on the field of battle. And on that field, they can "reap," or obtain, something, like how one reaps a harvest from a field of wheat, for example. In this case, what is being reaped is victory, as symbolized by laurels, which are traditionally associated with triumph and victory.

Yet even these brave souls must one day die. Their "strong nerves," forged in the heat of many a hard battle, will eventually succumb to fate—the fate that awaits us all. In the final analysis, the glories of battle, the glories of "blood and state," are not important. They are mere "shadows" and "not substantial things," and they pale into insignificance when we consider the inescapable fact that one day we will leave this mortal world behind.

What happens to the men who "reap the field" with swords in James Shirley's "Death the Leveller"?

In James Shirley's poem "Death the Leveller," the speaker describes men with swords who "reap the field" in battle. They kill their enemies as if they were mowing down wheat. These warriors appear powerful and dangerous, and they win glory by their acts of war.

Yet these men, for all their "strong nerves," will someday have to yield to death. Their will give up their breath just like everyone else. Fate will catch up with them, and they will "creep to death," an inglorious image indeed. Their strength will fail and their glory will fade. They will no longer be able to boast of their "mighty deeds." Rather, they will go to their tombs as captives to death even though they were conquerors in life.

Indeed, this poem focuses on how death comes to everyone, high and low. Kings feel its "icy hand" just like peasants do, for "in the dust be equal made" all people. The things of this world, therefore, are mere "shadows," the poet argues. They cannot prevent death.

The poet ends on a hopeful note. The "actions of the just," he says, will still "Smell sweet and blossom" even after the people who did them have died. Their deeds of love and righteousness will live on and continue to fill the world with beauty.