Stanza 113 - Explanation

Original Stanza

'Were Tarquin Night, as he is but Night's child,
The silver-shining queen he would distain;
Her twinkling handmaids too, by him defiled,
Through Night's black bosom should not peep again:
So should I have co-partners in my pain;
And fellowship in woe doth woe assuage,
As palmers' chat makes short their pilgrimage.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down stanza 113 of Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece line by line, then look at the overall meaning and literary devices.

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "Were Tarquin Night, as he is but Night's child,"

  • Breakdown: This line uses a Metaphor and introduces the overarching imagery of darkness and evil associated with Tarquin.
    • "Were Tarquin Night": Hyperbole: It proposes a counterfactual. If Tarquin were the embodiment of Night itself...
    • "as he is but Night's child": He is merely a product of Night. The "child" could suggest a younger, less experienced or less powerful version of absolute darkness, but is still imbued with evil. This is a gentler version of calling him night and highlights the source of his immorality.
  • Meaning: Even though Tarquin is not literally Night, his actions are so evil that he is like Night's offspring, embodying the darkness, immorality, and treachery associated with it.

• "The silver-shining queen he would distain;"

  • Breakdown: More Metaphor and Imagery.
    • "silver-shining queen": Refers to the moon. The moon symbolizes purity, beauty, and light – qualities that are the opposite of Tarquin's character and intentions. This could also be referring to Lucrece who can be seen as the pure, and silver shining queen.
    • "he would distain": He would defile or stain (with dishonor) the moon.
  • Meaning: If Tarquin were the full embodiment of Night, his wickedness would even extend to defiling something as inherently pure and beautiful as the moon. Tarquin is evil enough to stain the purity of the moon.

• "Her twinkling handmaids too, by him defiled,"

  • Breakdown: More Metaphor and Imagery.
    • "Her twinkling handmaids": The stars, accompanying the moon. Again, associated with purity and light, celestial beauty.
    • "by him defiled": He would corrupt or stain them as well.
  • Meaning: Tarquin's evil would not be limited to just the most prominent symbol of purity (the moon); it would taint even the smaller, less significant aspects of goodness and light (the stars).

• "Through Night's black bosom should not peep again:"

  • Breakdown: Personification and Imagery.
    • "Night's black bosom": Night is personified as a being with a bosom (chest), emphasizing the darkness and concealment it provides.
    • "should not peep again": The stars would be completely extinguished, never to shine through the darkness again.
  • Meaning: The defilement would be so complete that even the faintest glimmer of goodness (the stars) would be extinguished, swallowed up by the all-encompassing darkness. The stars can no longer find solace in the night for Tarquin's evil has ruined it.

• "So should I have co-partners in my pain;"

  • Breakdown: This line shifts the focus back to Lucrece's personal suffering.
    • "co-partners in my pain": Others would share her suffering. If Tarquin were to defile even the Moon and stars, Lucrece would not be alone in being stained by his evil.
  • Meaning: Lucrece expresses a wish that others would suffer alongside her, that her pain would not be unique.

• "And fellowship in woe doth woe assuage,"

  • Breakdown: This is a more general observation about human nature.
    • "fellowship in woe": Sharing suffering with others.
    • "doth woe assuage": Lessens or relieves the pain.
  • Meaning: Lucrece believes that shared suffering can alleviate the intensity of individual pain. There is a comfort in knowing you are not alone.

• "As palmers' chat makes short their pilgrimage."

  • Breakdown: Simile.
    • "palmers' chat": The conversation of pilgrims (palmers were pilgrims returning from the Holy Land, carrying palm fronds).
    • "makes short their pilgrimage": Makes the long journey seem shorter.
  • Meaning: Just as the conversation of pilgrims makes a long journey seem shorter and more bearable, so too does shared suffering lessen individual pain.

Overall Meaning of the Stanza:

This stanza explores the overwhelming nature of Tarquin's evil and Lucrece's desire for shared suffering. Lucrece first establishes the all-encompassing nature of Tarquin's evil and her desire for companionship in suffering. The stanza argues that shared pain can make suffering more bearable, just as companionship can make a long and arduous journey feel shorter.

Literary Devices Highlighted:

• Metaphor: Tarquin being "Night's child" and the moon as a "silver-shining queen."
• Imagery: Vivid descriptions of the moon, stars, and "Night's black bosom" create a strong sense of darkness and purity.
• Personification: Night is personified as having a "black bosom."
• Hyperbole: "Were Tarquin Night" exaggerates his evil.
• Simile: Comparing shared suffering to the chatter of pilgrims shortening a journey.
• Alliteration: Silver-shining queen.

This stanza is a powerful expression of Lucrece's feelings of isolation and despair, and her yearning for connection and shared understanding in the face of unimaginable trauma. The image of darkness and light further emphasizes the battle between good and evil that is at the heart of the poem.