Stanza 48 - Explanation

Original Stanza

'So, so,' quoth he, 'these lets attend the time,
Like little frosts that sometime threat the spring,
To add a more rejoicing to the prime,
And give the sneaped birds more cause to sing.
Pain pays the income of each precious thing;
Huge rocks, high winds, strong pirates, shelves and sands,
The merchant fears, ere rich at home he lands.'

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "So, so,' quoth he, 'these lets attend the time,"

  • Meaning: Tarquin is speaking. "So, so" indicates a calculated acceptance or rationalization. "Lets" means hindrances or obstacles. He's saying that these obstacles are normal for this time (i.e., for achieving his goal).
  • Literary Devices:
    • Direct Speech: Brings the reader into Tarquin's perspective.

• "Like little frosts that sometime threat the spring,"

  • Meaning: He compares the obstacles to minor frosts that sometimes occur in springtime. These frosts are unpleasant but don't ultimately prevent the spring from arriving.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Simile: Uses "like" to compare the obstacles to frosts.
    • Imagery: Evokes the image of a fragile spring being threatened.

• "To add a more rejoicing to the prime,"

  • Meaning: These small setbacks actually increase the joy and appreciation of the springtime when it finally arrives fully. "Prime" here refers to the peak of spring.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Paradox: The idea that a threat can add to joy seems contradictory.
    • Alliteration: 'prime' uses 'p' as previously used in 'pays'.

• "And give the sneaped birds more cause to sing."

  • Meaning: "Sneaped" means checked, rebuked, or nipped. So, birds that have been silenced or subdued by the frost will sing with more enthusiasm when the weather improves.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Imagery: Continues the spring imagery, focusing on the return of life and joy.
    • Personification: Giving birds the human emotion of "cause to sing."

• "Pain pays the income of each precious thing;"

  • Meaning: This is the crux of the stanza's philosophy. You have to endure pain or hardship to earn or appreciate something valuable.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: Life is a commercial transaction.
    • Aphorism: A concise statement of a principle or truth.

• "Huge rocks, high winds, strong pirates, shelves and sands,"

  • Meaning: Lists various dangers a merchant faces at sea.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Imagery: Invokes the dangers and uncertainty of sailing.
    • Polysyndeton: The use of many conjunctions ("and") to create a sense of overwhelming obstacles.

• "The merchant fears, ere rich at home he lands."

  • Meaning: The merchant must confront all these fears and dangers before he can achieve the desired wealth and safe return home.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Alliteration: Of 'rich' and 'rocks' or 'winds'

Overall Meaning:

This stanza is Tarquin's rationalization of the obstacles he faces in his pursuit of Lucrece. He uses the metaphor of spring and a merchant's journey to justify his actions. He argues that these challenges are actually beneficial, increasing the eventual pleasure he will derive from "possessing" Lucrece. He is using a distorted logic to convince himself that the potential consequences or moral implications of his actions are worth it, because the "prize" (Lucrece) will be all the more enjoyable after overcoming these "lets."

The stanza highlights the twisted and self-serving nature of Tarquin's thinking. He's attempting to elevate his lustful desires by framing them as a natural and even positive part of achieving something valuable. He's essentially saying that a bit of "pain" (for himself, and of course, far more for Lucrece) is a necessary investment for the ultimate "income" of pleasure. The reference to the merchant reinforces the idea that he views Lucrece as a commodity to be acquired, rather than a human being. It also shows how his ambition and lust are blinding him to the true moral implications of his planned actions.