This poem contains allusions to figures from Greek mythology, most notably the Moirai, or Fates, after whom the poem is titled. The Fates are three sister goddesses who are said to control individual destiny, which is represented by the thread of life. Clotho’s task is to spin the thread, selecting the moment of one’s birth; Lachesis controls the course and length of one’s life by measuring the thread; and Atropos clips the thread, determining the moment and means of one’s death.
The Moirai command a great deal of respect because their decisions are both highly consequential and irrefutable. They make compromises for no one, and in most accounts, even the most powerful gods cannot reverse their judgments. Tending to operate in the background, when the Fates do appear in the main action of myths, such stories generally reinforce their ultimate power—and by extension, the irreversibility of one's destiny.
The Moirai are directly referenced in the poem's title, where they are referred to as "The Three Fates," and first line, where they are simply called "the three sisters." But their influence doesn't end there. After they grant the man’s wish for everlasting life, their presence is felt throughout the poem as the audience watches the consequences of their judgment unfold.
The poem's final stanza contains an allusion to another well-known mythological figure: when the audience learns that the man’s life repeats in reverse once again, this process is compared to "the reel unrolling towards the river." This image recalls the story of Sisyphus, an infamously crafty king who angered Zeus.
Depending on which version of the story you read, either Thanatos (the personification of Death) or Hades (the god of Death) visits Sisyphus on behalf of Zeus, intending to capture him and bring him to the Underworld. However, Sisyphus tricks Thanatos/Hades into demonstrating how the restraints work, leaving him chained up instead of Sisyphus. As punishment, Sisyphus is condemned to push a boulder uphill for all eternity. Each time it reaches the top of the hill, the boulder rolls back down and he must begin again.
The circular reel “unrolling” towards its starting point—“the river”—subtly evokes Sisyphus’s similar eternal fate. This allusion suggests that, like Sisyphus, the man was punished for attempting to cheat Death and save himself from the afterlife. The reel here also gestures again towards the Moirai and their spool of thread.
In ancient Greece, myths were used to explain natural phenomena and other aspects of life that were mysterious or unknown. They also helped establish, communicate, and preserve cultural ideals, educating people about their society’s values and the proper way to conduct oneself. This poem's allusions to mythology draw on such traditions, signaling that there is a larger lesson to be gleaned from the man’s story.
By propelling the audience into the world of mythology, the allusions also allow readers to suspend conventional lines of reasoning, leaving room for the poem's unusual storyline. The mythic atmosphere also gives the poem a sense of grandeur and consequence, despite the very ordinary man that it follows. Perhaps this allows readers to relate to the man and therefore see themselves within such myths. As such, modern audiences are invited to partake in ancient explorations of such subjects as fate, death, and regret.