Stanza 201 - Explanation

Original Stanza

There pleading might you see grave Nestor stand,
As ’twere encouraging the Greeks to fight,
Making such sober action with his hand
That it beguiled attention, charmed the sight.
In speech, it seemed, his beard, all silver white,
Wagged up and down, and from his lips did fly
Thin winding breath, which purled up to the sky.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down Stanza 201 from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece line by line:

Line 1: "There pleading might you see grave Nestor stand,"
- Meaning: In that painting (implied from the context of the poem - Lucrece is looking at a tapestry depicting the Trojan War), you could see the dignified and serious Nestor standing and pleading. "There" indicates the location on the tapestry. "Grave" emphasizes Nestor's solemnity and importance.
- Literary Device: Enjambment (the sentence continues uninterrupted into the next line) creates a sense of continuation and flow.
Line 2: "As ’twere encouraging the Greeks to fight,"
- Meaning: He looked as if he was urging the Greek soldiers to fight. "As 'twere" is an archaic way of saying "as if it were."
- Literary Device: Simile (comparing Nestor's appearance to someone encouraging soldiers).
Line 3: "Making such sober action with his hand"
- Meaning: He was making such serious and restrained gestures with his hand. "Sober" reinforces the idea of Nestor's dignified demeanor. "Action" refers to his hand movements.
- Literary Device: Alliteration with "sober" and "such" subtly enhances the effect.
Line 4: "That it beguiled attention, charmed the sight."
- Meaning: These gestures were so captivating and beautiful that they captivated the viewer and held their gaze. "Beguiled attention" means it deceived and captured the viewer's focus. "Charmed the sight" suggests a spellbinding visual effect.
- Literary Device: Assonance in "sight" and "beguiled" creates a subtle musicality.
Line 5: "In speech, it seemed, his beard, all silver white,"
- Meaning: It appeared as if his silver-white beard was speaking. This is a personification of his beard.
- Literary Device: Personification (giving the beard human-like qualities). Imagery - The visual of a silver-white beard conveys age and wisdom.
Line 6: "Wagged up and down, and from his lips did fly"
- Meaning: It looked like his beard was moving up and down, and a thin breath was coming from his mouth.
- Literary Device: Inversion - "from his lips did fly" is an inverted sentence structure (the normal order would be "did fly from his lips") to emphasize the breath. This is typical of Shakespearean writing.
Line 7: "Thin winding breath, which purled up to the sky."
- Meaning: The light, spiraling breath seemed to rise and swirl upwards, as if it were ascending to the heavens. "Purled" means to move with a swirling motion.
- Literary Device: Imagery: "thin winding breath, which purled up to the sky" creates a striking visual picture of the ethereal breath rising upward. Hyperbole or Exaggeration: The breath reaching the sky amplifies the impact of Nestor's speech and his importance.

Overall Meaning:

This stanza describes a powerful depiction of Nestor in the tapestry. The scene is so vividly painted with words that it gives the impression of movement and life within the still image. Nestor, a symbol of wisdom and experience, is portrayed as a compelling orator whose age and gravitas command attention. The passage focuses on the power of speech and the visual impact of his presence, emphasizing his ability to inspire and persuade through both his words (implied) and his gestures. Shakespeare uses vivid imagery, personification, and slight exaggeration to elevate the depiction, suggesting the profound impact this historical figure had and is having on Lucrece as she views the tapestry. The stanza highlights the persuasive power of wisdom and the enduring significance of heroic figures from the past. It adds to the overall theme of the poem by drawing parallels between the moral struggles of the past and the present situation of Lucrece.