Stanza 66 - Explanation

Original Stanza

Wrapp'd and confounded in a thousand fears,
Like to a new-kill'd bird she trembling lies;
She dares not look; yet, winking, there appears
Quick-shifting antics, ugly in her eyes:
Such shadows are the weak brain's forgeries;
Who, angry that the eyes fly from their lights,
In darkness daunts them with more dreadful sights.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line-by-Line Breakdown:

• "Wrapp'd and confounded in a thousand fears,"

  • "Wrapp'd and confounded": This uses assonance (repetition of vowel sounds - 'a' in 'wrapp'd' and 'confounded' and the 'o' sound in both words as well) for emphasis. It emphasizes the total state of being overwhelmed. "Wrapp'd" can be read literally (as being wrapped up or surrounded by her fears) but also figuratively.
  • "a thousand fears": This is hyperbole. It exaggerates the number of fears to convey the sheer magnitude of Lucrece's terror. It's not literally a thousand, but represents the overwhelming onslaught of anxieties.
  • Meaning: Lucrece is completely enveloped and disoriented by a multitude of anxieties and horrors. She's lost in a sea of fear.

• "Like to a new-kill'd bird she trembling lies;"

  • "Like to a new-kill'd bird": This is a simile. It compares Lucrece to a freshly killed bird. The image is of something small, vulnerable, and recently traumatized.
  • "trembling lies": This emphasizes her physical state, highlighting her helplessness. The verb "lies" also speaks to how she is vulnerable and in a prone position.
  • Meaning: She is lying down, shaking uncontrollably, resembling a defenseless creature that has just been brutally harmed. The comparison underscores her fragility and victimhood.

• "She dares not look; yet, winking, there appears"

  • "She dares not look": Shows her reluctance to confront what has just happened; she is trying to avoid the reality of her situation. The verb "dares" also suggests the trauma to her has fundamentally changed her ability to even bear witness to her surroundings.
  • "winking, there appears": Suggests involuntary reactions and a lack of control. Even though she is trying to shut out what is happening, her mind is betraying her.
  • Meaning: Though she avoids looking in order to escape the horror, she cannot control her mind which continues to force her to 'see'.

• "Quick-shifting antics, ugly in her eyes:"

  • "Quick-shifting antics": Alliteration (repetition of the 'q' sound) highlights the rapid and erratic nature of the visions. "Antics" suggests distorted, grotesque, or mocking images.
  • "ugly in her eyes": Reinforces the repulsiveness and horror of what she is seeing (or imagining).
  • Meaning: Horrific, rapidly changing images fill her vision, emphasizing the mental torture she is enduring.

• "Such shadows are the weak brain's forgeries;"

  • "shadows": Metaphor for the nightmarish visions and mental images tormenting her.
  • "weak brain's forgeries": This explains the origin of the visions. Her mind, weakened by trauma, is creating these illusions. The word "forgeries" implies that these are false, deceptive, and ultimately products of her traumatized state.
  • Meaning: These horrifying images are not real but hallucinations created by her traumatized and vulnerable mind.

• "Who, angry that the eyes fly from their lights,"

  • "Who": Refers back to the "brain" in the previous line. The brain is personified as having emotions (anger).
  • "eyes fly from their lights": This metaphorically describes her attempts to shut out the external world (avoiding the reality of what happened by refusing to look). "Lights" refers to the source of vision and understanding.
  • Meaning: Her brain, personified, is angry that she's trying to avoid reality by shutting her eyes.

• "In darkness daunts them with more dreadful sights."

  • "In darkness daunts them": "Darkness" refers to the internal darkness of her mind. "Daunts" means to intimidate or discourage. The brain is intimidating her eyes (and, by extension, herself) with even more terrifying images.
  • "more dreadful sights": The content of the hallucinations is described as even worse than what she is trying to avoid.
  • Meaning: Because she is trying to escape reality by closing her eyes, her brain punishes her with even more terrifying mental images within the darkness of her own mind.

Overall Meaning:

This stanza describes Lucrece's mental and physical state immediately after the rape. It paints a picture of overwhelming terror, vulnerability, and mental torture. She is completely overwhelmed by fear, compared to a newly killed bird to emphasize her defenselessness. Though she attempts to avoid the reality of the assault by closing her eyes, her traumatized mind conjures even more horrifying images. The stanza personifies her brain as an angry entity that punishes her attempt to escape reality with vivid and dreadful hallucinations. In essence, the stanza depicts the psychological fallout of the rape, where her inner world becomes a landscape of horror reflecting the trauma she has experienced. The stanza vividly highlights the psychological impact of trauma, where the victim's own mind becomes a source of further suffering.