Stanza 197 - Explanation

Original Stanza

A thousand lamentable objects there,
In scorn of Nature, Art gave lifeless life.
Many a dry drop seemed a weeping tear,
Shed for the slaughtered husband by the wife.
The red blood reeked to show the painter’s strife,
The dying eyes gleamed forth their ashy lights,
Like dying coals burnt out in tedious nights.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down Stanza 197 of Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece line by line, then analyze its overall meaning and literary devices.

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "A thousand lamentable objects there,"

  • Breakdown: This line sets the scene, describing a multitude of sad and pitiable things (objects) present. The word "lamentable" immediately establishes a tone of sorrow and grief. "There" implies a specific location, likely a depicted scene or image being observed.
  • Literary Devices: Hyperbole - a thousand feels like an exaggeration to convey the overwhelming sorrow.

• "In scorn of Nature, Art gave lifeless life."

  • Breakdown: This is a key line that encapsulates the power and the limitation of art. "In scorn of Nature" suggests that Art challenges or imitates Nature. "Art gave lifeless life" is an oxymoron. The art depicts life, yet it is inherently inanimate or "lifeless." The phrase hints at the ability of art to capture the essence of life, albeit in a static form.
  • Literary Devices: Oxymoron, Personification (Art is given the ability to "give life"), Alliteration on "lifeless life"

• "Many a dry drop seemed a weeping tear,"

  • Breakdown: This focuses on a specific detail. The painted or drawn representation of a drop looks so realistic that it evokes the feeling of a tear, a sign of sorrow and grief. The word "seemed" is crucial - it's an appearance of a tear, not an actual tear.
  • Literary Devices: Imagery (a visual of a tear), Metaphor (the dry drop is acting like a tear)

• "Shed for the slaughtered husband by the wife."

  • Breakdown: This provides context for the tear (or the seeming tear). It's shed by a wife grieving for her murdered husband. It directly links the image to themes of death, loss, and marital tragedy.
  • Literary Devices: Allusion (to a story, probably that of the Trojan War)

• "The red blood reeked to show the painter’s strife,"

  • Breakdown: The depiction of blood is so intense and vivid that it almost seems to emit a foul odor ("reeked"). This line also hints at the painter's own struggle to capture the horrific reality of the scene. The painter's own effort and suffering are reflected in the image. "Strife" here likely refers to the painter's creative struggle.
  • Literary Devices: Synecdoche (blood represents death), Imagery (sensory depiction of blood), Metaphor (painter's strife)

• "The dying eyes gleamed forth their ashy lights,"

  • Breakdown: The eyes of the dying person in the artwork still retain a certain light, but it is a pale, fading "ashy" light, signifying the extinguishing of life. It highlights the detail and skill of the artist.
  • Literary Devices: Imagery (visual of dying eyes), Juxtaposition (gleamed and ashy), Alliteration (ashy and lights)

• "Like dying coals burnt out in tedious nights."

  • Breakdown: This line completes the stanza with a simile, comparing the fading light in the dying eyes to the embers of a fire slowly going out after a long, exhausting night. The "tedious nights" suggest a prolonged period of suffering or a long wait for death. The image is one of exhaustion and finality.
  • Literary Devices: Simile (using "like" to compare the eyes and coals), Imagery (visual and tactile of dying coals)

Overall Meaning of the Stanza:

This stanza describes an artwork (most likely a painting or tapestry) depicting a scene of immense sorrow and violence, likely related to the Trojan War. The stanza explores the power of art to imitate life, even in its most tragic forms. The speaker is deeply moved by the artwork's ability to evoke strong emotions of grief, loss, and horror. The art, despite being "lifeless," manages to capture the essence of suffering and death so vividly that it seems almost alive. The stanza also subtly suggests the artist's own emotional involvement in the creation of the artwork. The level of detail is so great that even the smallest nuances of the scene are depicted with such precision, the viewer is overcome with sadness.

Key Literary Devices Summary:

• Imagery: Creates vivid pictures in the reader's mind.
• Oxymoron: "Lifeless life" highlights the paradox of art.
• Simile: Compares dying eyes to dying coals for a strong visual effect.
• Metaphor: "Dry drop seemed a weeping tear"
• Personification: Art is given human-like qualities.
• Alliteration: Creates a musical quality and emphasizes certain phrases.
• Hyperbole: Overstatement to emphasize the quantity of sadness
• Synecdoche: Blood is part that represents the whole of violence and death

This stanza is a powerful example of Shakespeare's ability to use language to evoke strong emotions and explore complex themes related to art, life, and death.