Stanza 174 - Explanation

Original Stanza

This Plot of death when sadly she had laid,
And wiped the brinish pearl from her bright eyes,
With untuned tongue she hoarsely calls her maid,
Whose swift obedience to her mistress hies;
For fleet-wing'd duty with thought's feathers flies.
Poor Lucrece' cheeks unto her maid seem so
As winter meads when sun doth melt their snow.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down Stanza 174 from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece line by line, identifying literary devices, and then provide an overall interpretation.

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• Line 1: "This Plot of death when sadly she had laid,"

  • Meaning: Lucrece, after considering and deciding upon her course of action (suicide), which she refers to as her "Plot of death," is saddened by her decision. She has come to terms with her decision and now has to set the wheels in motion.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: "Plot of death" is a metaphor. Suicide, or at least her planned act of suicide, is equated to a theatrical plot or a carefully considered strategy. This emphasizes the deliberate and considered nature of her decision.
    • Alliteration: The repetition of the "d" sound in "death" and "sadly" create a soft, mournful tone.
    • Euphemism: "Plot of death" functions as a euphemism for suicide, making it less harsh for the audience.

• Line 2: "And wiped the brinish pearl from her bright eyes,"

  • Meaning: She wipes away the salty (brinish) tears from her eyes. "Pearl" is a metaphor for the tears themselves.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: "Brinish pearl" is a metaphor for tears. The pearl is symbolic of her purity and what she has lost due to the rape.
    • Alliteration: the repetition of "b" in "brinish" and "bright" to emphasize the vivid, melancholic scene.

• Line 3: "With untuned tongue she hoarsely calls her maid,"

  • Meaning: Her voice is out of tune and rough because of her emotional distress as she calls for her servant.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: "Untuned tongue" is a metaphor indicating that her voice lacks its normal musicality or harmony. It's symbolic of her emotional disruption.

• Line 4: "Whose swift obedience to her mistress hies;"

  • Meaning: The maidservant quickly hurries (hies) to her mistress out of obedience.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Archaism: "Hies" is an archaic word, meaning "hurries," giving the language a formal and slightly elevated tone.

• Line 5: "For fleet-wing'd duty with thought's feathers flies."

  • Meaning: Her servant is quick and responsive out of duty. "Thought's feathers" suggest how quickly she comes, as if she's heard Lucrece's call in her mind and immediately acted.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: "Fleet-wing'd duty" compares duty to something swift, like a bird in flight.
    • Metaphor: "Thought's feathers" uses the feathers as a synecdoche for wings, which are used to describe the speed of her reaction.

• Line 6: "Poor Lucrece' cheeks unto her maid seem so"

  • Meaning: Lucrece's face looks to her maid as if it is a wintry landscape.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Personification: "Poor Lucrece' cheeks" - assigning a human quality, "poor," to an inanimate object to evoke sympathy.

• Line 7: "As winter meads when sun doth melt their snow."

  • Meaning: Her cheeks are as pale as a winter meadow with melting snow, but now as the guilt washes over her, they are also becoming red.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Simile: The use of "as" makes this a simile. The comparison emphasizes her paleness, vulnerability, and the draining of her vitality.

Overall Meaning and Interpretation:

This stanza depicts the immediate aftermath of Lucrece's fateful decision to take her own life. The focus is on her summoning her maid and the contrast between Lucrece's emotional state and the maid's swift, unquestioning obedience.

The stanza highlights:

• Lucrece's inner turmoil: The "plot of death," "brinish pearl," and "untuned tongue" all emphasize her profound grief and distress.
• The maid's loyalty and speed: Her servant's prompt response underscores Lucrece's noble status and the societal expectations of service.
• Lucrece's physical deterioration: The comparison of her cheeks to "winter meads when sun doth melt their snow" paints a picture of her as pale, weakened, and drained of life. This adds to the tragic and pitiful tone of the poem.

The overall effect of the stanza is to create a poignant image of Lucrece at a critical moment: resolute in her decision to commit suicide, but profoundly saddened by it, and physically weakened. The stanza underscores the tragic consequences of the rape and the devastating impact it has had on Lucrece. The literary devices create a vivid and emotional picture of Lucrece's suffering, leaving the reader in suspense as to what will happen next.