For Death or rather — Death-Penny

Death-penny is the "obolus placed in the mouth of a corpse, with which to pay the ferryman in Hades" _{(OED 19)}. This poem suspects that a penny is too less.

For Death－or rather
For the Things 'twould buy－¹
This－put away
Life's Opportunity－

The Things that Death will buy ⁵
Are Room－
Escape from Circumstances－
And a Name－

With Gifts of Life ⁹
How Death's Gifts may compare－
We know not－
For the Rates－lie Here－

(F.644/J.382)

[1] Death:: death-penny, the coin put under the tongue of the dead, to pay Charon the ferryman for crossing river Acheron.
[2] buy:: a hint on penny; it can buy something.
[3] put away:: to store for later usage.
[4] Opportunity:: the chance of the dead to enter the Underworld, and be judged (to be in Elysium, Asphodel, or Tartarus).
[5] Death will buy:: the death-penny will buy.
[6] Room:: a room in Charon's ferry.
[7] Circumstances:: those who cannot pay the death-penny would wander a hundred years.
[8] a Name:: called by Charon to board his ferry.
[9-10] Gifts of Life, Death, compare:: the penny that one gives to Charon, comparing to one's whole life as gifts.
[11] know not:: why Charon would charge so little is unknown.
[12] lie:: to stand, and to cheat. The difference of Gifts of Life and a penny is too big, that makes this deal like a fraud.

You will not see him now, till a pinch of dust has been sprinkled on your brow, and the death-penny put into your mouth. Then, when you have crossed the dark river, he will be waiting for you on the other side. ─ The Gladiators (1863)

Every dead man paid to Charon a small brass coin for his fare: and many of the ancients took care to put this coin under the tongue of their deceased relation, that he might be at no loss for that requisite when he came to the banks of the Acheron. ─ The Pantheon (1814)