Can you help me analyze this 3 line poem?

Question

It's called "On Spies" by Ben Jonson:

"Spies, you are lights in state, but of base stuff,

Who, when you've burnt yourselves down to the snuff,

Stink, and are thrown away. End fair enough."

What does it all mean? Are spies a metaphor for something else?

Answer 1

Spies are "lights in state" in that they provide information, or shed light, but still they are "base stuff," no better than anyone else. When they  have served their purpose, they are cast aside because they cannot be trusted, obviously. They are thrown away. The author thinks this is fair enough, given the circumstances.

Spies are like candles. They are made of normal stuff but cast light, which we appreciate until they burn down too far and are no longer of use. They we pitch them out without regard for any service they provided.

Answer 2

sounds like a candle

Answer 3

Spies illuminate the state with the knowledge they gain, but they're just ordinary people (base stuff). When they have served their purpose, or discovered, they may be discarded (think James Bond: "If you are discovered, we will disavow any knowledge of your existence").

Spies are being compared to candles, but a candle is a metaphor for spies, not the other way around.

Answer 4

The life of a candle.