That is a metaphor, for it is a direct comparison to to unlike things (world as a stage, men and women as players), without using "like" or "as."
The understanding of the poem, as the way a poem is structured can change the meaning or how the reader understands it drastically.
She set the table to get ready for lunch after lunch she went to lie or lay down for a nap
I’m not sure but I think the new banking system
It means that you are listening and paying attention to whoever is talking or speaking . Engaged,