Stanza 51 - Explanation

Original Stanza

'Then Love and Fortune be my gods, my guide!
My will is back'd with resolution:
Thoughts are but dreams till their effects be tried;
The blackest sin is clear'd with absolution;
Against love's fire fear's frost hath dissolution.
The eye of heaven is out, and misty night
Covers the shame that follows sweet delight.'

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "Then Love and Fortune be my gods, my guide!"

  • Meaning: The speaker (Tarquin) is declaring that he will be guided and motivated by lust ("Love") and the belief in his own success ("Fortune"). He is essentially rejecting traditional morality and embracing self-serving desires.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Invocation: He is invoking "Love" and "Fortune" as if they were deities, calling upon them for help and guidance. This highlights the perversion of his values. These concepts have replaced any sense of morality or divinity for him.
    • Personification: "Love" and "Fortune" are personified, being treated as entities that can guide him.

• "My will is back'd with resolution:"

  • Meaning: He is determined and resolute in his intentions. His desire is strong, and he has made up his mind.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Alliteration: There's subtle alliteration in the 'w' sound of "will" making the line more impactful.
    • Metaphor: He's saying that his "will" (desire) is "backed" or supported by determination, implying strength and solidity.

• "Thoughts are but dreams till their effects be tried;"

  • Meaning: He is dismissing moral contemplation and hesitation as useless until action is taken. He believes that an idea is only validated when it's put into practice.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: Comparing thoughts to "dreams" suggests that they are insubstantial and unreal until they become actions.
    • Pragmatism/Rationalization: This line represents Tarquin's rationalization of his immoral act. He's convincing himself that the act itself will provide the clarity he needs, overriding any preemptive moral judgments.

• "The blackest sin is clear'd with absolution;"

  • Meaning: He believes that he can be forgiven or absolved of even the worst sin (the rape he intends to commit). This is both an expression of his arrogance and perhaps a misguided belief in divine or earthly forgiveness. He might think that the fulfillment of his desire will justify the sin, or that his position will protect him from consequences.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Irony: This line drips with irony because the act he's about to commit is precisely the kind of sin that cannot be easily cleared. His belief in absolution is a delusion.
    • Allusion: "Absolution" is a religious term implying forgiveness, highlighting his distortion of religious concepts to justify his actions.

• "Against love's fire fear's frost hath dissolution."

  • Meaning: The "fire" of his lust is so intense that it melts away any "frost" of fear or moral qualms. His desire overcomes his inhibitions.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: "Love's fire" and "fear's frost" are metaphors representing powerful emotions.
    • ** противопоставление (Juxtaposition/Contrast):** The contrast between "fire" and "frost" is important. It highlights the battle between Tarquin's passion and his conscience, with passion winning.
    • Alliteration: The repetition of the "f" sound in "fear's frost" adds to the impact and emphasizes the coldness that is being overcome.

• "The eye of heaven is out, and misty night"

  • Meaning: It is night, and the sun (often seen as a symbol of justice and divine observation) is no longer watching. The darkness provides a cover for his actions.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Symbolism: "The eye of heaven" symbolizes divine judgement, morality, or even just public scrutiny. Its being "out" suggests the absence of these things.
    • Personification: "The eye of heaven" personifies the sun or perhaps God.
    • Pathetic Fallacy: The "misty night" reflects the moral obscurity and confusion that he is embracing.

• "Covers the shame that follows sweet delight."

  • Meaning: The darkness will conceal the shame that will inevitably follow the pleasure (which he falsely believes will be "sweet") he seeks. This is a premonition of the guilt and consequences that await him.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Foreshadowing: This line hints at the eventual shame and regret that Tarquin will experience. It foreshadows the tragic consequences of his actions.
    • Juxtaposition/Oxymoron (Implied): "Sweet delight" is contrasted with "shame," creating a sense of unease. The implication is that the delight will not be purely sweet, but will be tainted by shame.
    • Symbolism: The "shame" represents the moral consequences and the feeling of guilt that will haunt him.

Overall Meaning:

Stanza 51 is a crucial moment in the poem. It provides a disturbing insight into Tarquin's mindset just before the rape. He is completely consumed by his lust, rationalizing his actions by invoking "Love" and "Fortune" as his guiding principles, dismissing moral concerns as insubstantial until acted upon, and arrogantly believing he can be absolved of any sin. The imagery of darkness covering the act is both literal and symbolic, representing his attempt to escape accountability and the moral darkness he is embracing. The stanza is filled with dramatic irony, as the reader knows that Tarquin's "sweet delight" will ultimately lead to devastating shame, guilt, and destruction. The powerful literary devices emphasize the depth of his depravity and the tragic consequences that will follow. He is actively choosing to ignore conscience and morality, believing he can somehow escape the consequences of his actions. The stanza sets the stage for the horrific act and its repercussions.