Explain the meaning of the following

Explain the meaning of the following
(a) … all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances…
(b) And then the lover, Sighing like furnace…
© a soldier,
… Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon’s mouth.

(a) In the opinion of the poet, the world is like a global stage and all men and women presented here are mere puppets in the hands of destiny. Man’s life on Earth is described like a big drama in which all men and women are like actors. They make their entry with their birth and their exit with their death.
(b) The third stage is that of a lover. The lover pines (cry) for his beloved and he sighs like a burning furnace. The lover craves for his love and heaves deep sighs like the wind bag of a furnace.
© The fourth stage is that of a soldier. He has always been a seeker of worldly name and fame, which is short-lived and transient like a bubble which disappears within a short time of its appearance. His thirst for getting honour and esteem is never quenched and he strives his best to gain some status. He may even foolishly put his life at stake to earn a short-lived reputation.