# CCLIII explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

Life and Death gamble for a child, with Life winning but Death pointing out that the prize is already dead of age.

## Themes in this chapter

### Mortality and Regret

The chapter personifies Death and Life gambling over a child, highlighting the inevitability of death and the futility of the contest.

## Character check-ins

### Death

Death throws dice with Life for a child, then remarks that the stake is already dead of age.

## Key lines

> Life and Death threw dice for a child. “I win!” cried Life. “True,” said Death, “but you need a nimbler tongue to proclaim your luck. The stake is already dead of age.”

Life and Death gamble for a child; Life wins, but Death notes the prize is already dead from old age.

_The dialogue underscores the irony of Life's victory over a lifeless stake._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/ccliii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters