🌹 Stanza 146 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

And as she runs, the bushes in the way
Some catch her by the neck, some kiss her face,     
Some twine about her thigh to make her stay:
She wildly breaketh from their strict embrace,
Like a milch doe, whose swelling dugs do ache,
Hasting to feed her fawn hid in some brake.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: "And as she runs, the bushes in the way"

"the bushes in the way": This phrase sets the scene, indicating the natural obstacles Venus encounters during her frantic chase. It immediately establishes a sense of impediment to her progress.
Meaning: As she runs, the bushes obstruct her path.

Line 2: "Some catch her by the neck, some kiss her face,"

"Some catch her by the neck": This personifies the bushes, suggesting that their branches or thorns snag her, as if deliberately trying to halt her. It implies a forceful, yet perhaps still sensual (in the context of the poem's themes of seduction and embrace), attempt to impede her. Shakespeare uses "catch" to convey a sudden, sharp interruption.
"some kiss her face": Continuing the personification, this phrase describes a softer, lighter touch of leaves or blossoms against her skin. The word "kiss" imbues the action with an almost amorous or intimate quality, hinting at the natural world's reaction to Venus's divine beauty, even as it obstructs her.
Meaning: Some of the bushes snag her by the neck, while others lightly brush against her face.

Line 3: "Some twine about her thigh to make her stay:"

"twine about her thigh": This describes branches wrapping around her leg, emphasizing a more deliberate and entangling action by the bushes. "Twine" suggests a twisting, coiling movement, implying a persistent attempt to hold her back. The thigh is a traditionally sensual part of the body, continuing the subtle erotic undertone even in obstruction.
"to make her stay": This explicitly states the perceived intention of the bushes. It reinforces the personification, implying that the natural world is actively attempting to impede Venus, perhaps sensing her distress or simply responding to her presence with a desire to keep her.
Meaning: Others wrap themselves around her thigh as if to hold her in place.

Line 4: "She wildly breaketh from their strict embrace,"

"wildly breaketh": "Breaketh" is an archaic form of "breaks." "Wildly" emphasizes Venus's frantic, desperate struggle and her powerful, almost untamed determination to escape these natural restraints. It highlights the urgency of her pursuit.
"strict embrace": This refers to the firm, constricting grip of the bushes. The word "embrace" continues the personification, likening the bushes' hold to that of a lover's arms. However, "strict" signifies that this embrace is unwanted and restrictive, contrasting with the desired embrace from Adonis.
Meaning: She forcefully tears herself away from their tight, restraining hold.

Line 5: "Like a milch doe, whose swelling dugs do ache,"

"Like a milch doe": This is a powerful simile. A "milch doe" is a female deer that is lactating and producing milk for her young. This comparison immediately shifts the focus from purely romantic passion to a more primal, instinctive, and maternal urgency.
"whose swelling dugs do ache": "Dugs" are teats or udders. The "swelling" and "ache" convey the physical discomfort and pain of an animal whose teats are engorged with milk and needs to nurse its young urgently. This imagery underscores the compelling, instinctual drive behind Venus's actions.
Meaning: She is like a lactating female deer whose udders are swollen and painful.

Line 6: "Hasting to feed her fawn hid in some brake."

"Hasting to feed her fawn": This phrase directly states the purpose of the milch doe's urgent movement: to provide nourishment for her offspring. This parallel emphasizes Venus's desperate, protective, and immediate need to reach Adonis, treating him almost as her helpless "fawn."
"hid in some brake": A "brake" is a thicket or dense clump of bushes. This detail highlights the hidden, vulnerable nature of the fawn and reinforces the urgent search. It also subtly connects to Adonis being in the "wild," possibly hidden or in danger, just like the fawn.
Meaning: Rushing quickly to nurse her young fawn, which is hidden in a thicket.

🎭 Literary Devices

Device	Example	Effect
Personification	"the bushes... Some catch her by the neck, some kiss her face, / Some twine about her thigh to make her stay"	Imbues inanimate bushes with human-like actions and intentions (catching, kissing, twining, holding). This makes the natural world seem actively involved in Venus's journey, almost as if it's trying to impede or embrace her.
Simile	"She wildly breaketh... Like a milch doe, whose swelling dugs do ache, / Hasting to feed her fawn hid in some brake."	Compares Venus's urgent flight to that of a lactating doe. This elevates her desperation from mere romantic pursuit to a primal, instinctive, and protective urgency, highlighting her deep concern for Adonis's safety.
Imagery	"catch her by the neck," "kiss her face," "twine about her thigh," "swelling dugs do ache," "fawn hid in some brake"	Creates vivid sensory details (visual and tactile) that allow the reader to visualize Venus's struggle and the doe's suffering, making the scene more immediate and emotionally resonant.
Alliteration	"swelling dugs do ache"	The repetition of the 'd' sound creates a sense of rhythmic emphasis, drawing attention to the discomfort and urgent natural drive of the doe, reinforcing the core of the simile.
Hyperbole (Subtle)	The bushes are given an exaggerated, almost concerted effort to stop her, making her struggle more dramatic.	Emphasizes the intensity of Venus's struggle and the perceived obstacles in her path, highlighting her overwhelming drive to reach Adonis.

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

This stanza marks a critical shift in Venus's character and the poem's tone. Previously, Venus was the assertive, somewhat predatory pursuer of love, attempting to woo Adonis with seductive language and physical advances. Here, her role transforms into one of frantic desperation and almost maternal concern.

The personification of the bushes attempting to "catch," "kiss," and "twine" around her suggests that even nature itself is affected by her presence, either trying to hold onto her beauty or perhaps delay her from witnessing the impending tragedy. Her "wild" breaking free underscores the intensity of her new motivation: fear for Adonis's safety.

The pivotal simile comparing Venus to a "milch doe" rushing to feed her "fawn" is profoundly significant. It elevates Venus's pursuit from a purely erotic desire to an instinctive, primal drive akin to a mother's protectiveness over her child. The "swelling dugs" and "aching" convey a sense of urgent physical and emotional pain, making her need to reach Adonis immediate and undeniable. This comparison humanizes Venus, portraying her not just as a goddess of love but as a creature driven by raw, instinctual alarm.

In the broader context of the poem, this stanza foreshadows the tragic outcome. Venus's desperate haste, mirroring the doe's, is driven by a premonition of danger. The maternal-like love implied by the simile contrasts sharply with Adonis's rejection of Venus's romantic advances and his preference for the wild hunt. Her frantic pursuit to protect him ultimately proves futile, underscoring the themes of unrequited love, the unpredictability of fate, and the inevitable clash between Venus's overwhelming love and Adonis's desire for independence and the wild. This moment signifies the turning point from erotic comedy to impending tragedy.