"all the world's a stage" from as you like it by william shakespeare read these lines from the passage. the sixth age shifts into the lean and slippered pantaloon, with spectacles on nose and pouch on side; his youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide for his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice, turning again toward childish treble, pipes and whistles in his sound. how does the alliteration "shrunk shank" affect the meaning? the sound of the phrase "shrunk shank" reinforces the sense of urgency that occurs at this stage of life. because the phrase "shrunk shank" is difficult to pronounce smoothly, it reinforces the physical losses that occur at this stage of life. the phrase "shrunk shank" adds humor to the passage and emphasizes the many joys of this stage of life. the phrase "shrunk shank" creates "sh" sounds, which mimic the soft tones of a person at this stage of life. the shadowland tunnel how does jake's allusion to the greek myth of the river styx affect the meaning of this passage? it emphasizes the grim possibility that the characters may face death. it highlights the fact that the events occur in an imaginary land. it implies that the characters are about to confront monsters. it suggests that the characters have been thrust into their adventure by mistake.