Stanza 63 - Explanation

Original Stanza

His drumming heart cheers up his burning eye,
His eye commends the leading to his hand;
His hand, as proud of such a dignity,
Smoking with pride, march'd on to make his stand
On her bare breast, the heart of all her land;
Whose ranks of blue veins, as his hand did scale,
Left there round turrets destitute and pale.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Okay, let's break down this chilling stanza from Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece, piece by piece, and then discuss the overall meaning and devices used.

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "His drumming heart cheers up his burning eye,"

  • Analysis: This line establishes the internal forces driving Tarquin. His "drumming heart" suggests fear, anxiety, and lustful excitement, all beating intensely. This 'cheers up', or emboldens, his "burning eye," which is focused intensely on Lucrece and consumed by desire.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Personification: The heart is given the ability to "cheer up" the eye.
    • Imagery: "Drumming heart" and "burning eye" are vivid, forceful images of internal turmoil and lust.

  • "His eye commends the leading to his hand;"

  • Analysis: The eye, representing Tarquin's gaze and desire, directs his hand to take action. "Commends the leading" suggests the eye is in command, giving an order. The eye dictates the action.

  • Literary Devices:
    • Personification: The eye "commends" or gives orders.

  • "His hand, as proud of such a dignity,"

  • Analysis: This line is deeply disturbing. The hand, an instrument of Tarquin's will, is described as "proud" of the power it has in this moment of violation. The word dignity suggests the hand sees its action as right or justified, which is a terrible perversion. The action is seen as some form of honor by the hand, further underscoring the evil of the character.

  • Literary Devices:
    • Personification: The hand is given the human quality of "pride." This is particularly unsettling.
    • Irony: There is nothing dignified about the action the hand is about to perform. The hand's "dignity" is a grotesque distortion of true honor.

  • "Smoking with pride, march'd on to make his stand"

  • Analysis: This continues the personification of the hand, intensifying the sense of predatory force. "Smoking with pride" suggests intense, almost feverish confidence and arrogance. "March'd on" suggests a deliberate, unstoppable advance, like a soldier invading enemy territory. "Make his stand" furthers the militant metaphor, comparing the action to a conquest.

  • Literary Devices:
    • Personification: The hand "smoke(s) with pride" and "march(es)."
    • Metaphor: The action of the hand is presented as a military invasion.

  • "On her bare breast, the heart of all her land;"

  • Analysis: This line marks the horrifying culmination of the preceding lines. The hand lands on Lucrece's "bare breast." The phrase "heart of all her land" is powerful. It suggests that Lucrece, with her virtue and honor, represents the very essence and integrity of Rome itself. By violating her, Tarquin is attacking the heart of the nation.

  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: Lucrece's breast is equated with "the heart of all her land."
    • Symbolism: Lucrece embodies Rome's honor and purity. Her breast, a vulnerable and nurturing part of her body, is thus a symbol of the nation's vulnerability.

  • "Whose ranks of blue veins, as his hand did scale,"

  • Analysis: The imagery shifts to a more detailed, physical description of Lucrece's body. "Ranks of blue veins" paints a picture of the veins visible beneath her skin, described in a military fashion. "As his hand did scale" continues the military metaphor, comparing the hand's movement across her breast to climbing a wall or scaling a fortress.

  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: The veins are likened to "ranks." The hand is scaling a fortress.
    • Imagery: The detailed description of the veins creates a vivid and intimate image.

  • "Left there round turrets destitute and pale."

  • Analysis: This is the most disturbing and complex line of the stanza. "Round turrets" is a euphemism for Lucrece's nipples. "Destitute and pale" describes how they appear as a result of Tarquin's assault. "Destitute" suggests emptiness and loss, hinting at the violation of her innocence and the draining of her spirit. "Pale" suggests fear, shock, and the loss of vitality. The military metaphor reaches its culmination here, showing that the assault leaves the "turrets" or defensive towers of Lucrece's body abandoned and weak.

  • Literary Devices:
    • Metaphor: Nipples are described as "round turrets."
    • Euphemism: The term "round turrets" is used to avoid explicit description.
    • Imagery: The image of "destitute and pale" turrets conveys the devastating impact of the assault.

Overall Meaning:

The stanza is a powerful and unsettling depiction of Tarquin's predatory assault on Lucrece. It shows the progression of his lust from internal desire to violent action. The personification of his heart, eye, and hand creates a sense of detached agency, as if Tarquin is being driven by forces beyond his control, although he is responsible for his actions. The extended military metaphor emphasizes the violent, invasive nature of his act, portraying it as a conquest and a violation not only of Lucrece's body but also of the very heart of Rome. The final lines are especially chilling, conveying the devastating impact of the assault on Lucrece, leaving her vulnerable and defiled. The language is deliberate and evocative, using vivid imagery and unsettling metaphors to capture the horror and brutality of the situation. The "dignity" of the hand is the perverse and twisted logic of the rapist. It is a stanza filled with tension, dread, and a profound sense of violation.