Stanza 250 - Explanation

Original Stanza

About the mourning and congealed face
Of that black blood a wat’ry rigol goes,
Which seems to weep upon the tainted place;
And ever since, as pitying Lucrece’ woes,
Corrupted blood some watery token shows,
And blood untainted still doth red abide,
Blushing at that which is so putrified.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Let's break down Stanza 250 from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece:

Line-by-Line Analysis:

• "About the mourning and congealed face"

  • "About": Around, surrounding.
  • "mourning": Lamenting, sorrowful, as if in grief.
  • "congealed face": The solidified, clotted blood, often described as the color black. This personifies the blood as having a "face" experiencing grief.
  • This introduces the visual imagery, and sets the scene of the blood that has clotted.

• "Of that black blood a wat’ry rigol goes,"

  • "Of that black blood": Referring to the clotted blood mentioned previously.
  • "a wat’ry rigol goes": A circular or watery trace, a ring or halo. It refers to a watery fluid that has separated from the blood.
  • This continues the visual imagery, suggesting a circle of clear fluid surrounding the dark, clotted blood.

• "Which seems to weep upon the tainted place;"

  • "Which": Referring to the "wat'ry rigol."
  • "seems to weep": Personification. The watery circle appears to shed tears.
  • "upon the tainted place": Over the spot where Lucrece was violated and suffered, adding a tone of sadness.
  • This deepens the sense of sadness and the atmosphere of tragedy.

• "And ever since, as pitying Lucrece’ woes,"

  • "And ever since": From that moment on.
  • "as pitying Lucrece’ woes": Because of pity for Lucrece's suffering.
  • This introduces a temporal perspective, suggesting the ongoing effects of the tragedy.

• "Corrupted blood some watery token shows,"

  • "Corrupted blood": Referring to the blood that was shed as a result of the rape.
  • "some watery token shows": It shows a watery sign or indication. This could be interpreted as a physical sign of the event, or it could refer to tears.
  • This focuses on the physical changes the blood has undergone, reinforcing the image of decay and sorrow.

• "And blood untainted still doth red abide,"

  • "And": Introduces a contrasting idea.
  • "blood untainted": Blood that is not involved in the trauma or the rape, or in this case, a good person.
  • "still doth red abide": Remain red. "Abide" means to remain or stay. This highlights the contrast in color between pure and corrupted blood.
  • This contrasts the pure blood with the tainted blood, offering a moral commentary.

• "Blushing at that which is so putrified."

  • "Blushing": Another instance of personification, as if the untainted blood is ashamed.
  • "at that which is so putrified": At the corrupted or rotten state of the tainted blood.
  • This draws a parallel between purity and shame, and corruption.

Literary Devices:

• Personification: Giving human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts (blood "mourning," "weeping," "blushing").
• Imagery: Vivid descriptions appeal to the senses, especially sight (the visual description of the blood).
• Metaphor: The blood itself becomes a metaphor for the purity of Lucrece and the corruption she suffers. The "tainted place" is a metaphor for the act of rape.
• Contrast: The stanza contrasts the corrupted, "tainted" blood with the untainted, pure blood.
• Alliteration: the repeating use of the "w" sound in the first three lines "About the mourning and congealed face / Of that black blood a wat’ry rigol goes, / Which seems to weep upon the tainted place;"

Overall Meaning and Interpretation:

The stanza presents a highly visual and emotional depiction of the aftermath of Lucrece's rape, focusing on the physical state of her blood and the symbolic implications. The clotted blood, described as having a "mourning" and "congealed face," is encircled by a "wat'ry rigol," which "seems to weep," creating an image of profound sorrow and loss. The stanza also uses personification to add to the overall sorrow of the poem.

The contrast between the "corrupted" blood and the "untainted" blood emphasizes the violation and the lasting impact of the trauma. The "blushing" of the untainted blood suggests shame and moral revulsion at the corruption. The visual description underscores the devastating effect of the act, turning the tragedy into something tangible and almost sentient. The blood itself becomes a physical manifestation of her loss of innocence and purity, the degradation of her body, and the moral corruption of her tormentor.