Stanza 167 - Explanation

Original Stanza

'My body or my soul, which was the dearer,
When the one pure, the other made divine?
Whose love of either to myself was nearer,
When both were kept for heaven and Collatine?
Ay me! the bark peel'd from the lofty pine,
His leaves will wither and his sap decay;
So must my soul, her bark being peel'd away.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

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

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• 'My body or my soul, which was the dearer,'

  • Meaning: Lucrece is immediately questioning what was more valuable to her: her physical body or her spiritual soul. This is a central dilemma after the rape; has she been harmed more physically or spiritually.
  • Literary Devices: Rhetorical Question. This sets up the central conflict and the agonizing choices Lucrece now faces.

• 'When the one pure, the other made divine?'

  • Meaning: This line further elaborates on the ideal state Lucrece was in before the rape. She suggests that her pure body and chaste soul were intertwined. Her body's purity elevated her soul to a state of near-divinity or spiritual perfection. In other words, her chastity made her sacred.
  • Literary Devices: Hyperbole (the "divine" soul) emphasizes the great value placed on her chastity. Juxtaposition - the purity of the body is contrasted to the divinity of the soul.

• 'Whose love of either to myself was nearer,'

  • Meaning: Lucrece continues her introspection. She asks: Which was more important to her, love of her body or love of her soul? Whose preservation was more important to her - in other words, what should she value more?
  • Literary Devices: Rhetorical Question. Builds on the initial question and deepens the internal conflict.

• 'When both were kept for heaven and Collatine?'

  • Meaning: This explains why both her body and soul were so precious. They were both dedicated to God ("heaven") and her husband, Collatine. Her chastity and fidelity were gifts she was preserving for these two entities.
  • Literary Devices: Allusion. "Heaven" is a direct reference to her religious devotion. This line reinforces the societal pressures and expectations surrounding female chastity in the era.

• 'Ay me! the bark peel'd from the lofty pine,'

  • Meaning: This line signals a shift into a metaphorical expression of her situation. "Ay me!" is an exclamation of grief. The image is of a majestic pine tree (representing Lucrece) that has had its bark stripped away.
  • Literary Devices: Metaphor, Exclamatory Phrase ("Ay me!"). The pine tree becomes a symbol for Lucrece herself. Introduces a sense of lament and pathos.

• 'His leaves will wither and his sap decay;'

  • Meaning: The consequences of stripping the bark from the pine tree: its leaves will die, and its life-giving sap will rot. This represents the inevitable decline and ruin that Lucrece feels she will experience as a result of the rape.
  • Literary Devices: Imagery. Evokes a strong sense of decay and loss. Metaphor - the withered leaves and decayed sap represent the loss of Lucrece's vitality and her sense of self.

• 'So must my soul, her bark being peel'd away.'

  • Meaning: This line makes the metaphor explicit. Just as the tree dies when its bark is removed, so too will Lucrece's soul die because her "bark" (her physical integrity, her chastity) has been violated. She equates the rape with a spiritual death.
  • Literary Devices: Direct Metaphor, Parallelism. The structure parallels the previous lines, emphasizing the connection between the tree's fate and Lucrece's. It reinforces the theme of destruction and despair.

Overall Meaning and Themes:

This stanza captures the core of Lucrece's anguish after the rape. She is grappling with the question of whether her body or soul has been more deeply damaged. Before the rape, they were inseparable, both dedicated to God and her husband. The rape, symbolized by the peeling away of the bark, has fundamentally violated her and, in her mind, destroyed her. She believes she can no longer fulfill her purpose, and her spiritual essence is now destined to wither and decay, leading to her eventual suicide.

Key Literary Devices:

• Metaphor: The central image of the pine tree being stripped of its bark is the most significant metaphor. It represents Lucrece's violation and the subsequent decay of her spirit.
• Rhetorical Questions: Lucrece's initial questions reveal her internal struggle and the impossible choices she faces.
• Imagery: The vivid imagery of the decaying tree emphasizes the theme of destruction and loss.
• Allusion: The reference to "heaven" underscores the religious dimension of Lucrece's values.
• Hyperbole: Elevating the soul to the "divine" heightens the loss Lucrece feels.
• Exclamatory Phrase: "Ay me!" contributes to the stanza's emotional intensity.
• Parallelism: The similar structure of lines 6 and 7 reinforces the connection between the tree and Lucrece's fate.

In short, this stanza is a powerful and poignant expression of Lucrece's internal turmoil, using vivid metaphors and rhetorical questions to convey the devastating impact of the rape on her sense of self and her spiritual well-being. It speaks to the societal pressures placed on women's chastity and the profound consequences of its violation in her time.