Stanza 255 - Explanation

Original Stanza

The deep vexation of his inward soul
Hath served a dumb arrest upon his tongue;
Who, mad that sorrow should his use control
Or keep him from heart-easing words so long,
Begins to talk; but through his lips do throng
Weak words, so thick come in his poor heart’s aid
That no man could distinguish what he said.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Let's break down this stanza from Shakespeare's "The Rape of Lucrece":

Line-by-Line Analysis:

• "The deep vexation of his inward soul"

  • Meaning: This establishes the source of Tarquin's inability to speak. "Vexation" means distress, annoyance, and agitation. "Inward soul" refers to his deepest feelings and emotions.
  • Literary Device: Alliteration ("deep" and "soul").

• "Hath served a dumb arrest upon his tongue;"

  • Meaning: The intensity of his distress has caused his tongue to be unable to speak. "Dumb arrest" is a metaphorical way of saying silence has been forced upon him.
  • Literary Device: Metaphor (silence is an "arrest").

• "Who, mad that sorrow should his use control"

  • Meaning: Now that he is struggling to speak, he is angered by the fact that his sorrow is preventing him from expressing himself. He is angry that his emotion "controls" him.
  • Literary Device: Personification (sorrow is given the agency to "control").

• "Or keep him from heart-easing words so long,"

  • Meaning: He's also angry because his sorrow is preventing him from speaking words that would ease his emotional suffering. He longs to speak and release his pain.
  • Literary Device: None stand out.

• "Begins to talk; but through his lips do throng"

  • Meaning: He tries to speak, attempting to overcome the silence, but the words come out in a rush, jumbled, and confused. "Throng" means to crowd or swarm.
  • Literary Device: None stand out.

• "Weak words, so thick come in his poor heart’s aid"

  • Meaning: The words that emerge are weak and fragmented, but they come out in a rush, as if desperately trying to help him express himself. "Poor heart's aid" means words are trying to help his heart.
  • Literary Device: None stand out.

• "That no man could distinguish what he said."

  • Meaning: Because of the rush of words and his emotional state, no one could understand what he was trying to say.
  • Literary Device: None stand out.

Overall Meaning of the Stanza:

This stanza portrays Tarquin's emotional turmoil and the physical manifestations of his guilt and distress after raping Lucrece. The deep shame and regret he experiences are so overwhelming that they physically impede his ability to speak clearly. The stanza emphasizes the immense pressure he is under, the struggle to express his feelings, and the resulting failure to communicate effectively. It highlights the power of emotional intensity to both paralyze and distort one's ability to communicate. The jumbled and incoherent words symbolize the chaos and confusion within Tarquin's heart.

In the context of the poem, this stanza foreshadows Tarquin's downfall and the eventual consequences of his actions. The inability to articulate his feelings and the ensuing incoherence represent his inability to contain his inner conflict and the inevitable unraveling of his control.