Stanza 142 - Explanation

Original Stanza

'Let him have time to see his friends his foes,
And merry fools to mock at him resort;
Let him have time to mark how slow time goes
In time of sorrow, and how swift and short
His time of folly and his time of sport;
And ever let his unrecalling crime
Have time to wail th' abusing of his time.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down this stanza from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece line by line, identify the literary devices, and then discuss its overall meaning.

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "Let him have time to see his friends his foes,"

  • Breakdown: This line implores that Tarquin should be given ample time to distinguish between true friends and enemies.
  • Literary Devices: Alliteration (repetition of the "f" sound in "friends" and "foes") emphasizes the contrast between the two groups.

• "And merry fools to mock at him resort;"

  • Breakdown: This line suggests that Tarquin should be subject to ridicule and derision from foolish, light-hearted people. "Resort" means they should come to him for this purpose.
  • Literary Devices: Irony (these 'fools' are wise enough to mock him)

• "Let him have time to mark how slow time goes"

  • Breakdown: This introduces a key concept: Tarquin should experience the agonizing slowness of time when in sorrow.
  • Literary Devices: None in particular. The line relies on the inherent understanding of how time feels when you are unhappy.

• "In time of sorrow, and how swift and short"

  • Breakdown: This line directly contrasts the slow passage of time in sorrow with the rapid passage of time when indulging in pleasure or foolishness.
  • Literary Devices: Juxtaposition/Contrast (between "slow time" in sorrow and "swift and short" time in folly).

• "His time of folly and his time of sport;"

  • Breakdown: This amplifies that idea: Tarquin should have the chance to see how quickly his pleasurable moments vanished.
  • Literary Devices: Parallelism (using the same grammatical structure "His time of...") for emphasis. Repetition of "time"

• "And ever let his unrecalling crime"

  • Breakdown: This means Tarquin's crime, which he cannot undo or take back, must always weigh on him. "Unrecalling" means irreversible.
  • Literary Devices: None in particular

• "Have time to wail th' abusing of his time."

  • Breakdown: Finally, Tarquin should have all the time in the world to lament (wail) the way he misused his time and life through his actions.
  • Literary Devices: Irony (Time is a thing he has abused and yet now it is the cause of his punishment). Alliteration (the "t" sound in "time to" and "th") connects time to his punishment.

Overall Meaning and Interpretation:

The stanza is a powerful curse, or a desire for just retribution, levied against Tarquin (implied to be coming from a figure such as Lucrece's husband or father). It's not simply a wish for his death, but a much more elaborate and psychologically torturous fate. The idea is that Tarquin should live with the consequences of his actions, and those consequences should be drawn out and excruciating.

The stanza focuses heavily on the concept of time. The repetition of the word "time" emphasizes its importance. The desire is that he be forced to feel the weight of his crime.

• He should realize the true nature of the people around him (friends vs. enemies).
• He should be humiliated and mocked.
• He should experience the slow agony of sorrow and regret, contrasting sharply with the fleeting pleasure he sought in his crime.
• He should be forever haunted by the irreversible nature of his actions.
• He should spend an eternity regretting his misuse of time and his life.

In essence, the stanza desires that Tarquin's life be a living hell, a constant reminder of his transgression. The emphasis on "time" suggests a prolonged period of suffering, a punishment far worse than a swift death. The stanza is a complex blend of justice, revenge, and moral condemnation. It is a wish that Tarquin live long enough to fully comprehend the gravity of his crime and to suffer the full consequences.