Stanza 209 - Explanation

Original Stanza

On this sad shadow Lucrece spends her eyes,
And shapes her sorrow to the beldam’s woes,
Who nothing wants to answer her but cries
And bitter words to ban her cruel foes.
The painter was no god to lend her those,
And therefore Lucrece swears he did her wrong,
To give her so much grief, and not a tongue.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down Stanza 209 of Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece piece by piece and then discuss its overall meaning and literary devices.

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "On this sad shadow Lucrece spends her eyes,"

  • Meaning: Lucrece focuses intently on the painting she is observing. "Sad shadow" refers to the painting, which depicts the fall of Troy, a scene filled with sorrow and suffering. "Spends her eyes" suggests she is investing all her attention and emotion into looking at it. The words "sad shadow" create a feeling of melancholy and impending doom.
  • Literary Devices: Metaphor ("sad shadow" for the painting); Alliteration ("sad shadow").

• "And shapes her sorrow to the beldam’s woes,"

  • Meaning: Lucrece molds (shapes) her own grief to match the sorrow of the old woman (beldam) depicted in the painting. She identifies with the old woman's suffering. This highlights Lucrece's empathetic nature and her ability to project herself into the emotions of others.
  • Literary Devices: Imagery, Empathy

• "Who nothing wants to answer her but cries"

  • Meaning: The old woman in the painting lacks nothing to express her grief besides weeping and uttering curses against her enemies. The woman's response is purely emotional.
  • Literary Devices: Hyperbole ("nothing wants").

• "And bitter words to ban her cruel foes."

  • Meaning: A continuation of the previous line, elaborating on the beldam's response: she wants bitter words to curse (ban) her cruel enemies. This emphasizes the depth of the woman's anger and desire for revenge.
  • Literary Devices: Imagery (bitter words)

• "The painter was no god to lend her those,"

  • Meaning: The painter, being only a human, could not grant the woman in the painting the power to actually speak and curse her foes. He could only depict her sorrow and rage, not give her the ability to express it verbally.
  • Literary Devices: Allusion (to the power of gods), Understatement (the painter was "no god").

• "And therefore Lucrece swears he did her wrong,"

  • Meaning: Lucrece, feeling deeply connected to the woman's suffering, believes the painter has wronged her (the woman in the painting, and by extension, Lucrece herself). This is a somewhat irrational reaction driven by intense emotion.
  • Literary Devices: Personification (Lucrece swearing).

• "To give her so much grief, and not a tongue."

  • Meaning: Lucrece's complaint is that the painter has depicted so much grief in the woman's face, but he has not given her the means to express that grief through speech or action. It's a sense of frustration that the sorrow is locked within, unable to be fully released.
  • Literary Devices: Irony (a painting cannot literally give someone a tongue), Juxtaposition (grief/tongue).

Overall Meaning:

This stanza reveals Lucrece's profound emotional connection to the painting of the fall of Troy. She identifies intensely with the suffering depicted, particularly that of the old woman. She feels the painter has failed by portraying such deep sorrow without providing a means for its expression. This empathy and frustration foreshadow Lucrece's own situation: she is about to be subjected to a horrific act that will leave her burdened with immense grief, and she will struggle to find the words and actions to adequately express the injustice she has suffered. Her empathy for the woman in the painting is a reflection of her own powerlessness and impending tragedy. The stanza highlights the limitations of art in fully capturing and conveying the depths of human suffering, and foreshadows the tragic outcome of Lucrece's ordeal.

Key Literary Devices Summary:

• Metaphor: "Sad shadow" for the painting
• Alliteration: "sad shadow"
• Imagery: Description of the sorrowful painting, "bitter words"
• Empathy: Lucrece projecting herself into the beldam's feelings.
• Hyperbole: "nothing wants"
• Allusion: To the power of gods.
• Understatement: The painter was "no god".
• Personification: Lucrece swears.
• Irony: A painting cannot literally give someone a tongue.
• Juxtaposition: grief/tongue

In essence, the stanza is a powerful exploration of grief, empathy, and the limitations of art, all of which contribute to the tragedy that will befall Lucrece.