What Are The "Seven Ages Of Man"?

The poem seven stages of men were written by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare has been a leading poet and dramatist for about seven years when he wrote AS YOU LIKE IT. Though his great tragedies were yet to be written, he had now achieved a wonderful easy and sure command of dramatic verse. His plays were mostly written in blank verse-unrhymed verse with five beats of lines.

It is basically a speech from the Act II, Scene VII of AS YOU LIKE IT. It is uttered by Jacques, one of the groups of noblemen living a life of exile in the Forest of Arden. Jacques is a melancholy but witty man, much given to moralizing. His wit is amusingly exuberant in the sketches of the first five stages of man's life but the sixth stage is, still witty, takes on a melancholy tone and the seventh sketch, of extreme old age, is utterly melancholy.

The poem basically starts with the seven stages of man and it says that this world is a stage and all the people are actors, actress. Everyone is here to play their part of the role. And this play of man's life starts from the time of his birth when he just an infant, and then comes the second stage which is of a crying school going boy who doesn't want to go to school. Third stage is of a lover, when he falls in love and understands the meaning of love and feelings. Forth stage is of an angry young soldier, who fights for his country and land. Fifth stage is the mature sketch of the man's life where he experience all the turns of life. Sixth stage is the one in which he plays with his grand kids and is full of wise advices. Seventh age is of an old man.

The seven ages of man are
infant
school-boy
lover
soldier
justice
Pantaloon
old age