There have been famous pairs or duos of poems in English Literature which are often compared with each other, such as the ones noted below. Considering the similarity and likeness of great minds in conceiving the same ideas in poetry, there surely will be more pairs like them. Learned Forum Members are requested to kindly enlighten.

The theme in Fear No More by William Shakespeare.

William Shakespeare was the world's greatest poet and dramatist. Fear No More is a song from his play, Cymbeline. Two brothers weep over the supposed death of their sister who is only unconscious. The song is actually an Ode On Death. Death comes as a release from the evils of the world and it is inevitable to all. The song is the poet's prayer for the peace of the departed soul. When we have done our worldly works, we have to return to our home that is heaven where we will be paid wages for our work done in this world. We will be blessed or punished. Man has to succumb to the inevitable death and he has no protection against it. The rich and leisurely golden lads and girls, as well as the chimney-sweepers, who do the dirtiest of works, die. Authority, scholarship and physical strength follows and finally reaches the dust. Even young lovers die. The parting soul gets peace, since it is released from the evils of this world. It needs not fear anymore the heat of the Sun or the angry outbreak of the winter. The frown or anger of great persons or a tyrant's stroke needn't be feared anymore. Clothing and eating are no more needed. Lightning and thunder will not affect us. Abusing words or unkind criticism will not reach our ears. Weeping and happiness are past. We reach bliss, which is supreme happiness. And distinctions also are past- the reed and the oak are the same to the dead man.

The theme in Death The Leveller by James Shirley.

James Shirley was an English poet and teacher who became famous for his plays. He died during the Great London Fire. Death The Leveller is part of one of his plays. He conceives death as a great leveller who has no distinctions between the rich and poor, high and low, hard and soft. The glories of our blood and state are only shadows. Family tradition or social status does not come to our aid when we die. Man has no armor to hold against fate. Death lays his icy hand on Kings and subjects. Kings wearing the scepter and crown and peasants bearing the scythe and spade are all brought to dust and made equal by death. Great emperors like Ashoka or Alexander have won battlefields and raised victory memorials, but they too have gone to the other world. Great swordsmen reap heads of their opponents in the battlefield, but even their strong nerves yield at last and they too stoop to fate, early or late. Actually they are not winning over the other, but taming one another. Great War heroes become wounded captives creeping to their death. They are now pale with shame in the hands of death because, unlike in the Warfield, they now cannot protest and fight against their captivity. Victory memorials may wither away and great battles fade from memory. The once-victor will one day become the bleeding victim on the purple altar of death- purple because of blood and gore. However high our heads are held, they will have to come down to the cold tomb. Great heroic actions do not survive us. Only the just and right actions of a man blossom and emit sweet smell even after he has withered in dust.

Comparison of Death The Leveller and Fear No More.

James Shirley was 14 years old when William Shakespeare was 44. Therefore, Shirley evidently might have been inspired by Shakespeare. Both poems celebrate the glory of death and share many other similarities. Both poems are part of plays written by them. Both poems hold the same views and project the same ideas. Death makes all equal. It has no distinctions between the rich and poor, the strong and weak, the high and low and the hard and soft. Man has no armour to hold against death. It touches all with it's cold fingers and all have to succumb to death. Even Kings are not secure from the strike of death. Both poets use the same word Sceptre to denote Kingly authority. Shakespeare hints that we are paid our wages in heaven for our deeds done in this world. Shirley warns us that only our right and just actions survive us. Both poets project the inevitability of death. And both of them were Londoners too.