Now thinks he that her husband's shallow tongue,--
The niggard prodigal that praised her so,--
In that high task hath done her beauty wrong,
Which far exceeds his barren skill to show:
Therefore that praise which Collatine doth owe
Enchanted Tarquin answers with surmise,
In silent wonder of still-gazing eyes.
This stanza from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece depicts Tarquin's contemplation of Lucrece after seeing her beauty. Let's break it down line by line:
"Now thinks he that her husband's shallow tongue,--": This line introduces Tarquin's thoughts. He believes Lucrece's husband, Collatine, has inadequately described her beauty. "Shallow tongue" suggests Collatine's praise was insufficient, lacking depth and eloquence.
"The niggard prodigal that praised her so,--": This is a powerful oxymoron. "Niggard" means stingy or miserly, while "prodigal" means wasteful or extravagant. Shakespeare uses this to highlight the perceived contradiction in Collatine's praise: he was both insufficient (stingy with his words, not giving her beauty full justice) and excessive (in the sense that even his insufficient praise was still more than the situation warranted, hinting at an over-estimation of his abilities to describe her). It emphasizes the inadequacy of Collatine's words to capture Lucrece's magnificence.
"In that high task hath done her beauty wrong,": Tarquin judges that Collatine has failed in the "high task" of adequately describing Lucrece's beauty. He has "done her beauty wrong" by underselling it. This suggests Tarquin sees himself as superior in his appreciation of beauty.
"Which far exceeds his barren skill to show:": This line reinforces the previous one, emphasizing the vast difference between Lucrece's true beauty and Collatine's ability to portray it. "Barren skill" highlights Collatine's inadequacy further.
"Therefore that praise which Collatine doth owe": This line explains Tarquin's motivation. He believes that Collatine hasn't fully given Lucrece the praise she deserves ("owes"). The use of "owes" emphasizes a debt or obligation Collatine hasn't fulfilled.
"Enchanted Tarquin answers with surmise,": This is the turning point. "Enchanted" doesn't imply magic, but rather a captivated, spellbound state. Tarquin, mesmerized by Lucrece's beauty, "answers" Collatine's insufficient praise with "surmise"—conjecture or speculation, filled with his own intense, subjective appreciation of her beauty.
"In silent wonder of still-gazing eyes.": This line describes Tarquin's state. He is lost in silent awe ("silent wonder"), his gaze fixed ("still-gazing eyes") on Lucrece. The "stillness" emphasizes the intensity of his fascination, foreboding the violence to come.
Overall Meaning:
The stanza shows Tarquin's initial response to Lucrece's beauty. He believes her husband's praise falls dramatically short, allowing him to justify his own possessive and ultimately predatory interest in her. It establishes Tarquin's arrogant self-assessment, positioning himself as a superior judge of beauty and subtly planting the seeds for his later actions. The silent wonder masks his lustful intentions, which the reader already understands to be deeply problematic. The literary devices, especially the oxymoron and carefully chosen verbs, contribute to a sense of mounting tension and foreshadow the tragedy.