The certainty of death is a similar element in both portions of the two poems. The idea is expressed in different ways but it is there nonetheless: "Life is futile/And all we know is dust." Death is an inevitable part of life and must be accepted with calmness. The theme of decay and deterioration is also important in both poems. Human beings are naturally driven to want to keep their physical bodies clean and pure. So, death comes as no surprise because people expect to die. It is only because of this belief that humanity has been able to find peace about death. Finally, the value of human life is another common element. King David expresses this through his poem by saying that "all flesh is grass" and "as sure as the sun rises, man goes down to sleep". Because all living things are temporary they should be treated with respect. Humanity wants to live peacefully together and not cause harm to each other so these themes were important at the time they were writing.