In a letter written to a friend in 1887, Lord Acton writes, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” (Acton) This statement about corruption and downfall is frequently proven true through humanity. People constantly build themselves up to a high standing only to fall soon after. Even so, there are always chances to rise again. It is simply an inescapable cycle in human life. The song “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay, which can best be classified as a lyric poem, uses figurative language, specifically metaphor, hyperbole, and allusion, to exhibit the universal and ageless theme of the inevitably of the stages of downfall.

The speaker in “Viva La Vida” first introduces the reader to his situation in life before his great, …show more content…
Though downfall is inevitable, the hope of restoring grace and glory is also inevitable, as Martin suggests in the song by declaring, “I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing” (13). The speaker constantly repeats this line as a way to remind the reader and himself of the hope for redemption in spite of everything that happened. “Jerusalem bells” is a biblical reference. Jerusalem was the holy site of the Temple where everyone believed God’s presence to be. In stating that he “hear(s) Jerusalem bells a-ringing”, the speaker conveys that he feels that despite falling from his state of grace, or “Jerusalem”, he still believes he is close enough that he can “hear” the “bells” and reach it once more. Throughout the song “Viva La Vida”, the lyrics show the stages of downfall and how each one is impossible to avoid. As explained by the speaker, it is very easy to fall, and everything seems to happen so quickly. He felt as though he was the ruler of the world with everything he could ever need one minute and like a lowly man of no consequence with everyone turned against him the next. He discovers that in hindsight, he really knew it all along as everyone else did. He goes further to convey that they were even waiting for his ruin by stating, “Revolutionaries wait/ For my head on a silver plate” (Martin,