Stanza 187 - Explanation

Original Stanza

At last she thus begins: “Thou worthy lord
Of that unworthy wife that greeteth thee,
Health to thy person! Next vouchsafe t’ afford,
If ever, love, thy Lucrece thou wilt see,
Some present speed to come and visit me.
So I commend me from our house in grief.
My woes are tedious, though my words are brief.”

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down this stanza from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece line by line, and then discuss its overall meaning:

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• Line 1: “At last she thus begins: “Thou worthy lord"

  • Meaning: After some delay (implying she's been struggling with how to word her letter), Lucrece begins to speak to her husband, Collatine, with a formal address.
  • Literary Devices: Setting the Scene. This line prepares the reader for the content of the letter, emphasizing the gravity of Lucrece's message.

• Line 2: "Of that unworthy wife that greeteth thee,"

  • Meaning: She immediately undermines herself. She calls herself unworthy, acknowledging a perceived disparity between her (now defiled) state and her husband's worthiness. She is greeting him in the sense of sending a message.
  • Literary Devices: Self-Deprecation. This is a key element, showing Lucrece's internalized shame and guilt after being raped. This phrase highlights how the crime has changed her perception of herself. Irony: Lucrece is arguably more worthy than ever because of her moral fortitude and determination to seek justice, yet she feels unworthy.

• Line 3: "Health to thy person! Next vouchsafe t’ afford,"

  • Meaning: She offers him a customary greeting of health. Then she beseeches him. The word 'vouchsafe' shows her deference to him.
  • Literary Devices: Formal Tone. This continues the formal, almost stilted, language, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation and the distance between them. Alliteration: The repetition of the 't' sound in "to thy" and "t'afford" adds a subtle emphasis.

• Line 4: "If ever, love, thy Lucrece thou wilt see,"

  • Meaning: This is the heart of the plea. She suggests that whether he will ever see her again depends on what happens next. The word "love" is placed poignantly in the centre of the line, emphasizing the loss of intimacy due to Tarquin's actions.
  • Literary Devices: Conditional Clause. The "if ever" clause adds a sense of urgency and foreboding. Ambiguity. This line hints at Lucrece's suicidal ideation without being explicit.

• Line 5: "Some present speed to come and visit me."

  • Meaning: She urges him to come to her immediately and in haste. The word 'present' signifies a need for urgent action.
  • Literary Devices: Urgency. The phrase "present speed" underscores the immediate nature of the crisis. Imperative Mood. The command "come and visit me" conveys a sense of desperation.

• Line 6: "So I commend me from our house in grief."

  • Meaning: She entrusts herself to him (commends) and indicates that she's writing from their home, which is now a place of grief.
  • Literary Devices: Euphemism. "I commend me" is a polite way of saying "I leave you" or "I entrust myself." Pathetic Fallacy: The house is now a place of grief because of what has happened to her.

• Line 7: "My woes are tedious, though my words are brief.”

  • Meaning: She states that her sorrows are long-lasting and wearisome, but her written message is concise.
  • Literary Devices: Paradox. The contradiction between the length of her woes and the brevity of her words emphasizes the difficulty she has in articulating the depth of her suffering. Metaphor: "My woes are tedious" is a metaphor that compares her sorrows to something drawn out and boring.

Overall Meaning:

This stanza encapsulates Lucrece's agonizing attempt to communicate the horror of her rape to her husband, Collatine. She is deeply ashamed and feels unworthy of him. Her letter is marked by formal language, self-deprecation, and a desperate plea for his immediate presence. She implies that her life, or at least their relationship, hangs in the balance. She wants him to know that something terrible has happened that affects them both, and it's something that must be dealt with swiftly. The stark contrast between the briefness of her words and the overwhelming nature of her suffering highlights the trauma she has endured and the difficulty she faces in articulating it. The stanza foreshadows the tragic consequences that will follow, including her suicide and the subsequent rebellion against the Tarquins. The use of conditional language creates a sense of foreboding, and the overall tone is one of desperation and despair.