Stanza 159 - Explanation

Original Stanza

The little birds that tune their morning's joy
Make her moans mad with their sweet melody:
For mirth doth search the bottom of annoy;
Sad souls are slain in merry company;
Grief best is pleased with grief's society:
True sorrow then is feelingly sufficed
When with like semblance it is sympathized.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down stanza 159 of Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece line by line, then look at the overall meaning and literary devices.

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "The little birds that tune their morning's joy"

  • Meaning: This paints a picture of birds singing cheerfully at dawn. They are creating a pleasant, joyful atmosphere.
  • Literary Devices: Personification: "Tune their morning's joy" gives the birds the human capability of tuning a musical instrument to express happiness. Imagery: This line creates a vivid auditory image of birdsong.

• "Make her moans mad with their sweet melody:"

  • Meaning: The sweet and happy birdsong actually intensifies Lucrece's sorrow and drives her almost to madness. It's a stark contrast between the joy of nature and her overwhelming grief.
  • Literary Devices: Juxtaposition/Contrast: The "sweet melody" is set against "her moans," highlighting the disparity between outward beauty and inner suffering. Alliteration: "Make...moans...mad" creates a strong, harsh sound, emphasizing Lucrece's anguish.

• "For mirth doth search the bottom of annoy;"

  • Meaning: This is a generalization or maxim. Joy (mirth) doesn't alleviate sorrow, but instead delves deep into the depths of sadness (annoy). It stirs up and exacerbates the pain.
  • Literary Devices: Personification: "Mirth doth search" gives mirth the active role of seeking out and probing sadness. Metaphor: "Bottom of annoy" implies that sorrow is a deep, hidden place.

• "Sad souls are slain in merry company;"

  • Meaning: This continues the idea that sadness is amplified by happiness. A person who is deeply sad feels even worse when surrounded by cheerful people. Their sadness is metaphorically "slain" - suffocated and emphasized by the surrounding joy.
  • Literary Devices: Metaphor: "Slain" is a metaphorical death, representing the crushing effect of joy on grief. Antithesis: Contrasts the "sad souls" and "merry company" to emphasize their incompatibility.

• "Grief best is pleased with grief's society:"

  • Meaning: This line provides the opposite perspective. Those who are grieving find the most comfort and solace in the company of others who are also grieving. Shared sorrow provides a kind of understanding and validation.
  • Literary Devices: Paradox: The word "pleased" is unexpected in relation to grief, highlighting the unusual comfort found in shared suffering. Personification: "Grief best is pleased" attributes emotions to an abstract concept.

• "True sorrow then is feelingly sufficed"

  • Meaning: Genuine, deep sorrow is best "satisfied" or comforted when it can fully express itself and be acknowledged. "Feelingly sufficed" indicates a profound and emotional fulfillment of that need for shared expression.
  • Literary Devices: Alliteration: "Sorrow...sufficed" emphasizes the connection between the feeling and the satisfaction of expressing it.

• "When with like semblance it is sympathized."

  • Meaning: Sorrow finds true comfort when it is met with empathy and understanding from someone who has experienced something similar. "Like semblance" refers to the shared grief, and "sympathized" describes the feeling of mutual understanding and compassion.
  • Literary Devices: Repetition: Links back to the theme of 'shared grief'.

Overall Meaning:

This stanza explores the paradoxical nature of grief and happiness. It suggests that joy can amplify sorrow, making it even more unbearable. Conversely, it asserts that the best solace for grief is to be found in the company of others who understand and share that sorrow. It highlights the human need for empathy and the importance of acknowledging and validating genuine suffering. Lucrece's situation is intensified because she is alone with her grief in a world that continues with its usual joys and routines. The birdsong, normally a symbol of beauty and happiness, becomes a painful reminder of what she has lost and the injustice she has suffered. The stanza also highlights that people can seek validation from shared grief, in that they feel their true sorrow is realised and felt when someone else can connect with it.

Key Literary Devices:

• Juxtaposition/Contrast: Happiness vs. Sorrow
• Personification: Attributing human qualities to abstract concepts (Mirth, Grief) or natural elements (birds).
• Metaphor: Using comparisons to describe states of emotion (Sad souls are slain)
• Paradox: The unexpected pleasure found in shared grief.
• Alliteration: Emphasizes sounds to highlight certain ideas and create emphasis.
• Imagery: Evokes sensory experiences (birds singing) to draw the reader into the scene.

This stanza is a powerful commentary on the complexities of human emotion and the importance of empathy and understanding in the face of suffering. It emphasizes how one's emotional state can be affected by outward circumstances and highlights the value of finding solace in shared experiences.