🌹 Stanza 14 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

Look how he can, she cannot choose but love;
And by her fair immortal hand she swears,    
From his soft bosom never to remove,
Till he take truce with her contending tears,
Which long have rain’d, making her cheeks all wet;
And one sweet kiss shall pay this countless debt.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: "Look how he can, she cannot choose but love;"

"Look how he can": This phrase refers to Adonis's appearance, demeanor, or actions. It implies that no matter how Adonis behaves, or how indifferent or resistant he may be, it doesn't change Venus's feelings. It highlights his agency, or lack thereof, in influencing her love.
"she cannot choose but love": An archaic idiom meaning "she cannot help but love" or "she has no option but to love." It emphasizes the overwhelming, irresistible, and involuntary nature of Venus's affection for Adonis. Her love is presented as an uncontrollable force, compelling her despite his potential reluctance.
Meaning: Regardless of Adonis's demeanor or how he presents himself, Venus is utterly compelled to love him; she has no choice in the matter.

Line 2: "And by her fair immortal hand she swears,"

"by her fair immortal hand": "Fair" emphasizes Venus's beauty, while "immortal hand" highlights her divine nature as a goddess. Swearing by one's hand is a solemn and binding oath, adding gravity and unwavering commitment to her declaration.
"she swears": Indicates a formal, serious, and deeply felt promise. It underscores the depth of her devotion and the extent to which she is willing to commit herself to Adonis.
Meaning: And she makes a solemn oath, swearing by her beautiful, divine, and immortal hand.

Line 3: "From his soft bosom never to remove,"

"From his soft bosom": "Bosom" refers to his chest, but here it encompasses his presence or embrace, signifying intimacy and closeness. "Soft" emphasizes Adonis's youth, tenderness, and perhaps his vulnerability, or the gentle nature of her desired attachment.
"never to remove": Means never to leave or separate herself from him. It signifies her desire for an eternal and unwavering physical and emotional closeness.
Meaning: That she will never leave or separate herself from his gentle embrace or presence.

Line 4: "Till he take truce with her contending tears,"

"Till he take truce": "Truce" is a temporary halt in hostilities. Here, it personifies Adonis's indifference or reluctance as a form of conflict. "Taking truce" means coming to terms or making peace with something.
"with her contending tears": Her tears are personified as "contending," meaning they are struggling, battling, or arguing, reflecting the intense emotional conflict and distress Venus is experiencing due to Adonis's unresponsiveness. They are striving to overcome his resistance.
Meaning: Until he (Adonis) makes peace with her struggling and persistently flowing tears.

Line 5: "Which long have rain'd, making her cheeks all wet;"

"Which long have rain'd": Continues the metaphor of tears as rain, emphasizing the prolonged duration and abundance of her crying. "Long" suggests her extended suffering and persistent efforts to win his affection. Shakespeare uses "rain'd" to vividly paint the image of her tears pouring down.
"making her cheeks all wet": A vivid and literal description of the physical effect of her continuous weeping, emphasizing her distress and emotional outpouring.
Meaning: Which have been raining down for a long time, making her cheeks completely wet with tears.

Line 6: "And one sweet kiss shall pay this countless debt."

"And one sweet kiss": Refers to the singular, desired kiss from Adonis. "Sweet" implies that this kiss would be loving, desired, and bring pleasure and acceptance.
"shall pay this countless debt": "Debt" here signifies the emotional obligation Adonis "owes" Venus for her profound love, her suffering, her tears, and her unfulfilled desires. "Countless" is a hyperbole, emphasizing the immense and immeasurable extent of her emotional investment and suffering. A single kiss is presented as the powerful resolution to this vast emotional burden. Shakespeare uses "pay" and "debt" to frame her desire in terms of a transaction, highlighting the value she places on his affection.
Meaning: And a single, loving kiss from him will be enough to settle this immeasurable emotional obligation she feels he owes her.

🎭 Literary Devices

Device	Example	Effect
Hyperbole	"this countless debt"	Exaggerates the magnitude of Venus's emotional suffering and the perceived obligation Adonis has, emphasizing her overwhelming desire.
Personification	"her contending tears"	Gives human agency to Venus's tears, highlighting their emotional intensity and the inner struggle she is experiencing due to unrequited love.
Metaphor	"Till he take truce with her contending tears"	Compares Adonis's acceptance of her love to the cessation of hostilities, underscoring the conflict between their desires and his resistance.
Metaphor	"Which long have rain'd"	Likens Venus's continuous crying to a prolonged rainfall, illustrating the duration and intensity of her sorrow and fervent desire.
Archaism/Idiom	"she cannot choose but love"	Conveys Venus's utter lack of control over her feelings, emphasizing the overwhelming and compulsive nature of her love for Adonis.
Alliteration	"take truce with her contending tears" (subtle)	Creates a subtle musicality and emphasis on the words, drawing attention to the idea of conflict and resolution.

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

This stanza is pivotal in establishing Venus's overwhelming and all-consuming passion for Adonis. It starkly portrays her as being utterly captivated and compelled by love, to the point of desperation. Her divine status, hinted at by her "immortal hand," is contrasted with her almost mortal vulnerability as she pleads for a single kiss. This highlights a central theme of the poem: the power of love (especially unrequited or unfulfilled love) to humble even a goddess.

The imagery of "contending tears" that have "long have rain'd" vividly conveys her emotional suffering and the depth of her yearning. The metaphor of a "countless debt" that only "one sweet kiss" can "pay" underscores the immense value she places on Adonis's affection and the emotional toll his indifference is taking on her. It frames her pursuit as a kind of emotional transaction, where she has invested everything and seeks only the simplest return.

In the broader context of Venus and Adonis, this stanza sets the stage for the intense, often one-sided, dynamic between the goddess of love and the beautiful, but reluctant, mortal youth. It emphasizes the theme of desire's consuming nature and the pain of unfulfilled longing. It foreshadows the central conflict – Venus's passionate pursuit versus Adonis's steadfast rejection of love – and reinforces the idea that even divine power cannot command affection, which must be freely given. The stanza deepens the reader's understanding of Venus's character as both powerful and pitiful, driven by an emotion she cannot control.