🌹 Stanza 102 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

But all in vain, good queen, it will not be:
She hath assay’d as much as may be prov’d;  
Her pleading hath deserv’d a greater fee;
She’s Love, she loves, and yet she is not lov’d.
‘Fie, fie!’ he says, ‘you crush me; let me go;
You have no reason to withhold me so.’

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: "But all in vain, good queen, it will not be:"

• "But all in vain": This phrase means that despite all efforts, the actions taken are useless, fruitless, or ineffective. Shakespeare uses it to immediately convey the futility of Venus's pursuit, creating a tone of resigned pity.
• "good queen": This is a deferential address to Venus, acknowledging her status as a goddess and her inherent nobility, while also subtly highlighting the irony of her failure despite her power and position. "Good" here can also imply a degree of sympathy from the narrator.
• "it will not be": A direct and definitive statement meaning that the desired outcome (Adonis's reciprocation of love) is simply not going to happen. It introduces a sense of finality and hopelessness to Venus's efforts.
• Meaning: But all of your efforts are futile, noble queen, for it's simply not going to happen.

Line 2: "She hath assay’d as much as may be prov’d;"

• "She hath assay’d": "Assay'd" means to test, to try, or to attempt. This phrase indicates that Venus has made a thorough and exhaustive effort, exploring every possible method of persuasion. Shakespeare chooses "assay'd" to suggest a systematic and complete trial of all available options.
• "as much as may be prov’d": This means "as much as can possibly be demonstrated, tested, or put to the proof." It emphasizes that Venus has pushed the limits of what is possible in terms of wooing and persuasion, leaving no stone unturned.
• Meaning: She has attempted and tested every possible method of persuasion to the absolute limit.

Line 3: "Her pleading hath deserv’d a greater fee;"

• "Her pleading": Refers to Venus's passionate, lengthy, and persistent requests, arguments, and entreaties to Adonis.
• "hath deserv’d": Means "has earned" or "has merited." It suggests that her efforts and the quality of her appeals should logically lead to a positive outcome.
• "a greater fee": Uses the metaphor of a transaction or payment. "Fee" here represents the reward or compensation for her efforts. The implication is that her immense investment of time and emotion should have yielded a significant return – namely, Adonis's love – but it has not. Shakespeare uses this economic metaphor to highlight the injustice of the situation from Venus's perspective.
• Meaning: Her persistent entreaties and arguments have certainly earned her a much better reward than what she's currently receiving.

Line 4: "She’s Love, she loves, and yet she is not lov’d."

• "She’s Love": Venus is not just a lover; she is the personification of Love itself, the goddess of love. This phrase emphasizes her divine essence and inherent power over the emotion. Shakespeare highlights this to underscore the profound irony of the situation.
• "she loves": This clarifies that despite her divine status, she personally feels genuine, strong affection and desire for Adonis. It grounds her in human emotion.
• "and yet she is not lov’d": This is the central paradox and tragic irony of the poem. Despite being the embodiment of love and experiencing love herself, her love is unreciprocated by Adonis. This simple, declarative statement succinctly captures the core conflict and Venus's dilemma.
• Meaning: She is the very personification of Love, and she herself feels love intensely, yet paradoxically, her love is not returned by Adonis.

Line 5: "‘Fie, fie!’ he says, ‘you crush me; let me go;"

• "‘Fie, fie!’": An exclamation expressing disgust, disapproval, impatience, or shame. It conveys Adonis's strong aversion and annoyance at Venus's actions, marking his absolute lack of interest and even irritation.
• "he says": This directly introduces Adonis's voice, breaking from the narrator's description and giving the object of Venus's desire a chance to express his own feelings for the first time in this stanza.
• "‘you crush me’": This can be taken literally (Venus is physically holding him very tightly, perhaps pinning him down) or metaphorically (her intense emotional pressure and relentless pursuit are overwhelming and suffocating him). Shakespeare uses this to show Adonis's feeling of being trapped and physically uncomfortable.
• "‘let me go’": A clear and emphatic plea for release and freedom. It highlights Adonis's strong desire to escape from Venus's embrace and the entire situation, emphasizing his independence and disinterest.
• Meaning: Adonis exclaims, "Shame on you! You're physically suffocating me; please release me immediately."

Line 6: "You have no reason to withhold me so.’"

• "You have no reason": Adonis asserts that Venus lacks any valid justification, logical basis, or legitimate cause for her actions. This highlights his rational and detached perspective, contrasting sharply with Venus's emotional and passionate approach.
• "to withhold me so": "Withhold" means to keep back or restrain. Adonis sees Venus's actions as an unreasonable restriction of his freedom, holding him against his will in such a forceful manner.
• Meaning: You have absolutely no legitimate justification for restraining me in this way.

🎭 Literary Devices

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

This stanza is a critical turning point in Venus and Adonis, summarizing the escalating futility of Venus's attempts to seduce the youth and finally giving Adonis a voice to express his staunch rejection. The opening lines (1-4), spoken by the narrator, encapsulate the poem's central irony: the goddess of love herself is unable to inspire love. "She’s Love, she loves, and yet she is not lov’d" is perhaps the most poignant line, starkly highlighting the paradox that even the embodiment of desire can be denied. This underscores the unpredictable and often unrequited nature of love, a key theme throughout the poem.

Adonis's direct speech in the latter half of the stanza is significant because it shatters the previous dynamic where Venus was the sole aggressor and speaker, and Adonis was primarily described through her perceptions or the narrator's observations. His words are sharp, dismissive, and devoid of any emotional warmth. His "Fie, fie!" conveys disgust, and his plea to "let me go" along with his claim "You have no reason to withhold me so" reveals his absolute aversion to Venus's advances. He sees her passionate pursuit as a physical and emotional burden ("you crush me") rather than a source of pleasure or connection.

In the broader context of the poem, this stanza solidifies the conflict between Venus's passionate, sensual, and fertile love and Adonis's chaste, detached, and ultimately self-destructive preference for hunting and independence. It reinforces the theme of unrequited love as the central driving force of the narrative. It also highlights the clash between desire and chastity, and implicitly, between the mature, experienced passion of Venus and the youthful, almost asexual innocence (or perhaps stubborn naivety) of Adonis. The stanza confirms that Venus's efforts are doomed, setting the stage for the tragic conclusion where Adonis's rejection of love ultimately leads to his death, linking the refusal of love with sterility and demise.