Stanza 115 - Explanation

Original Stanza

'O Night, thou furnace of foul-reeking smoke,
Let not the jealous Day behold that face
Which underneath thy black all-hiding cloak
Immodestly lies martyr'd with disgrace!
Keep still possession of thy gloomy place,
That all the faults which in thy reign are made
May likewise be sepulchred in thy shade!

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down this powerful stanza from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece line by line and then synthesize its overall meaning:

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "O Night, thou furnace of foul-reeking smoke,"

  • Breakdown: The speaker directly addresses Night (an apostrophe), comparing it to a furnace (metaphor) filled with disgusting, bad-smelling smoke ("foul-reeking smoke").
  • Literary Devices: Apostrophe (addressing Night), Metaphor (Night as a furnace), Imagery (the unpleasant image of smoky furnace)
  • Meaning: Night is not presented as a comforting darkness but as a source of something unpleasant and corrupting. The "foul-reeking smoke" represents the evil deeds that occur under the cover of darkness, specifically the rape of Lucrece. The furnace imagery suggests something burning and intensely destructive.

• "Let not the jealous Day behold that face"

  • Breakdown: The speaker begs Night to prevent the Day from seeing Lucrece's face. Day is personified here with the attribute of jealousy.
  • Literary Devices: Personification (Day as jealous), Alliteration (jealous Day)
  • Meaning: The speaker hopes to keep the shame and horror of the rape hidden. The "jealous Day" represents the revealing light of truth and justice. The idea of Day being "jealous" perhaps hints at a desire to steal the darkness's secrets or to expose the wickedness hidden within it.

• "Which underneath thy black all-hiding cloak"

  • Breakdown: Continues to describe Lucrece, saying her face is hidden under Night's (metaphorical) cloak. Night is described as having a "black all-hiding cloak."
  • Literary Devices: Metaphor (Night's cloak), Imagery (the visual of being concealed)
  • Meaning: Reinforces the idea of secrecy and concealment. The "black all-hiding cloak" symbolizes the protection Night offers to those committing evil deeds, but also the potential for darkness to bury and conceal the truth.

• "Immodestly lies martyr'd with disgrace!"

  • Breakdown: Lucrece is described as lying in a state of "disgrace." She is referred to as a "martyr'd," implying suffering.
  • Literary Devices: Oxymoron (Immodestly lies), Imagery (visual and emotional image of Lucrece suffering)
  • Meaning: Lucrece is not "immodest" in the traditional sense, but rather because her body has been violated (exposed) in an act of violence. She is "martyr'd" because she has suffered greatly and innocently. The phrase creates a sense of the violation and its tragic consequences. It also foreshadows her eventual suicide.

• "Keep still possession of thy gloomy place,"

  • Breakdown: Again, the speaker pleads with Night to stay in control of its dark realm.
  • Literary Devices: None obvious
  • Meaning: This emphasizes the desire for continued secrecy and concealment. The "gloomy place" is Night's domain, a space where evil can thrive.

• "That all the faults which in thy reign are made"

  • Breakdown: The speaker hopes that all the wrongdoings ("faults") committed during Night's "reign" will be...
  • Literary Devices: Metaphor (Night's reign)
  • Meaning: Night is treated like a ruler, and anything that happens during its rule is its responsibility.

• "May likewise be sepulchred in thy shade!"

  • Breakdown: ...that all the wrongdoings will be buried ("sepulchred") in Night's shadow ("shade").
  • Literary Devices: Imagery (burial, darkness), Metaphor (shade represents concealment)
  • Meaning: The speaker wants the rape and its consequences to be completely hidden and forgotten, as if buried in a tomb within the darkness. This is a wish for the crime and its shame to be eternally concealed.

Overall Meaning:

This stanza is a desperate plea to Night to maintain its darkness and secrecy, not to allow the Day to reveal the horrific event that has taken place – the rape of Lucrece. The speaker wishes that the crime and its associated shame would be buried forever in the darkness. The stanza creates a sense of profound anguish and a desire to suppress the truth, driven by the overwhelming feeling of disgrace and the desire to protect Lucrece's reputation (although tragically, she will eventually choose death to resolve the shame). The powerful imagery and metaphors emphasize the destructive power of evil and the desire for concealment in the face of such a profound violation. The stanza is not about celebrating the darkness but about lamenting the fact that evil can thrive within it. It serves as a powerful condemnation of the crime and the destructive impact it has on Lucrece and, by extension, Roman society.