'If Collatinus dream of my intent,
Will he not wake, and in a desperate rage
Post hither, this vile purpose to prevent?
This siege that hath engirt his marriage,
This blur to youth, this sorrow to the sage,
This dying virtue, this surviving shame,
Whose crime will bear an ever-during blame?
Let's break down Shakespeare's stanza from The Rape of Lucrece, line by line, identifying literary devices:
"If Collatinus dream of my intent," This line opens with a conditional clause, setting up a hypothetical situation. Tarquin, the speaker, considers the possibility that his husband, Collatinus, might somehow become aware of his plan to rape Lucrece. The word "dream" subtly suggests a premonition or subconscious awareness, adding to the tension.
"Will he not wake, and in a desperate rage" This continues the hypothetical, highlighting the expected reaction from Collatinus if he were to learn of Tarquin's plan. "Desperate rage" emphasizes the intensity of Collatinus's potential response.
"Post hither, this vile purpose to prevent?" This line shows Tarquin anticipating Collatinus's swift action ("post hither"—travel quickly here) to thwart his ("this vile purpose") plan. The rhetorical question serves to underscore Tarquin's own anxieties about being discovered.
"This siege that hath engirt his marriage," This line uses a powerful metaphor. "Siege" evokes the image of a military assault, comparing Tarquin's actions to a forceful attack on the sanctity of Collatinus's marriage. "Engirt" further emphasizes the encirclement and threat.
"This blur to youth, this sorrow to the sage," This is a parallel structure (using "this... this...") It expands on the consequences of the rape, suggesting it will cause a loss of innocence ("blur to youth") and deep sorrow ("sorrow to the sage") for both the young and the old, indicating the broad impact of the crime.
"This dying virtue, this surviving shame," This line continues the parallel structure and uses powerful personification. "Dying virtue" represents the destruction of Lucrece's innocence and goodness. "Surviving shame," in contrast, indicates the lasting, inescapable stain the rape will leave behind, even after the act itself is over.
"Whose crime will bear an ever-during blame?" This final line concludes the stanza with a rhetorical question, emphasizing the permanent and inescapable nature of the guilt and condemnation associated with the act. "Ever-during blame" signifies the eternal weight of the consequences.
Overall Meaning:
This stanza reveals Tarquin's internal conflict. While he is determined to rape Lucrece, he is also acutely aware of the potential consequences. He imagines Collatinus's furious reaction and the devastating impact his actions will have—not just on Lucrece and Collatinus, but on society as a whole. The stanza uses vivid imagery and rhetorical questions to intensify the drama and foreshadow the tragedy to come. The multiple uses of "this" create a sense of accumulating horror and inescapable consequences. The metaphors, particularly the "siege," emphasize the violent and destructive nature of the planned rape. The stanza powerfully foreshadows the lasting shame and devastating effects of the rape that are further developed in the poem.