Madam Life's a piece in bloom
Death goes dogging everywhere:
She's the tenant of the room,
He's the ruffian on the stair.
...
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A visual poem. One can picture this in stages. The awareness of the rotten underbelly of Victorian life is immense. This poem deserves more appreciation.
I don't think this is about Victorian life, just a telling metaphor of life and death in general. Life is the alluring prostitute, Death is her pimp, who will claim payment from us all eventually.