Stanza 195 - Explanation

Original Stanza

But long she thinks till he return again,
And yet the duteous vassal scarce is gone.
The weary time she cannot entertain,
For now ’tis stale to sigh, to weep, to groan;
So woe hath wearied woe, moan tired moan,
That she her plaints a little while doth stay,
Pausing for means to mourn some newer way.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Let's break down this stanza from The Rape of Lucrece line by line, identify the literary devices, and then summarize the overall meaning.

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "But long she thinks till he return again,"

  • But: Indicates a contrast with the previous events (Lucrece's initial dismissal of Tarquin).
  • long she thinks: She perceives the time until Tarquin returns as stretching out interminably. Her anxiety makes time feel slow.
  • Literary Device: Inversion (the normal word order would be "she thinks long"). This emphasizes "long" and Lucrece's anxious anticipation.

• "And yet the duteous vassal scarce is gone."

  • And yet: A further contrast. Even though the messenger has barely left, Lucrece already feels the weight of Tarquin's impending return.
  • the duteous vassal scarce is gone: The messenger, who was sent on his assigned task with loyalty, has hardly departed.
  • Literary Device: Understatement: "scarce is gone" implies the messenger has only just left, highlighting Lucrece's impatience and dread.

• "The weary time she cannot entertain,"

  • The weary time: The tedious, burdensome period of waiting. The time itself is personified as "weary".
  • she cannot entertain: She cannot find any way to occupy or distract herself during this time. She is completely consumed by her anxiety.
  • Literary Device: Personification: "weary time" imbues time with a human quality, emphasizing its oppressiveness.

• "For now ’tis stale to sigh, to weep, to groan;"

  • For: Explains why she can't entertain the time.
  • ’tis stale to sigh, to weep, to groan: Her usual expressions of grief and sorrow (sighing, weeping, groaning) have become ineffective and meaningless. They no longer provide any relief.
  • Literary Device: Tricolon: The listing of three similar actions (sigh, weep, groan) creates a rhythmic emphasis on the exhaustion of her grief. Metaphor: the grief is now "stale" implying it is beyond freshness and therefore is impotent.

• "So woe hath wearied woe, moan tired moan,"

  • So: Indicates a consequence of the previous line.
  • woe hath wearied woe, moan tired moan: Her grief has become so intense that it has exhausted itself. Her expressions of sorrow have lost their power to comfort her.
  • Literary Device: Repetition and Personification: The repetition of "woe" and "moan" emphasizes the overwhelming nature of her sorrow. The verbs "wearied" and "tired" further personify the grief, giving it a life of its own.

• "That she her plaints a little while doth stay,"

  • That: Introduces the result of her exhaustion.
  • she her plaints a little while doth stay: She stops her complaining and lamenting for a short period.
  • Literary Device: Inversion: "she her plaints" is an archaic construction.

• "Pausing for means to mourn some newer way."

  • Pausing: She takes a break from her expressions of grief.
  • for means to mourn some newer way: She is contemplating and seeking new ways to express her overwhelming sorrow, since the old ways are no longer effective. This implies a deeper, more profound grief than she has experienced before.
  • Literary Device: Foreshadowing: This line hints at the extreme actions Lucrece will eventually take (suicide) as a "newer way" to mourn and seek justice.

Overall Meaning:

This stanza captures Lucrece's mounting anxiety and despair as she awaits Tarquin's return. The time stretches out torturously for her. Her usual expressions of grief – sighs, tears, and groans – have become insufficient to express the depth of her present anguish. Her sorrow has reached a point of exhaustion, leading her to pause her plaints and seek out a new, more powerful means of expressing her pain. This stanza foreshadows the radical act of suicide that Lucrece ultimately commits, as the ultimate "newer way" to mourn and seek revenge. The language is filled with personification, repetition, and inversion to emphasize the overwhelming nature of Lucrece's emotional state. The stanza is a crucial turning point, moving Lucrece from passive anxiety to active consideration of how she will respond to the impending violation.