“Crown’d” once again evokes the Christ narrative. Leading up to his crucifixion, Christ was inflicted with mockery and torture by Roman soldiers. They placed a crown of thorns on his head to mockingly crown him the “King of the Jews.” Though it was a intended to cause pain and humiliation, the crown has come to represent two things for Christians. First, that Christ is indeed king of man worthy of all our praise; and second, that he was willing to suffer for us in order to redeem our souls. The crown of thorns has come to represent all suffering and the redemption that comes with suffering.
As the second line makes clear, the “pebbled shore” represents the destination of each human life. The image of the afterlife as a shore points to ancient Greek mythology, in which Hades—the underworld—lies across the vast river Styx. The pebbles, tiny and numerous, represent all the deceased who have reached the end.
