🌹 Stanza 147 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

By this she hears the hounds are at a bay;
Whereat she starts, like one that spies an adder
Wreath’d up in fatal folds just in his way,
The fear whereof doth make him shake and shudder;
Even so the timorous yelping of the hounds        
Appals her senses, and her spirit confounds.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: "By this she hears the hounds are at a bay;"

"By this": At this point in time; indicating a sudden shift or development in the narrative.
"the hounds are at a bay": A hunting term meaning the hunted animal (in this case, the boar) has turned to face its pursuers (the hounds) and is fighting them off. This signifies a direct, often violent, confrontation where the animal is cornered and desperate, indicating immediate danger for Adonis. Shakespeare uses this precise hunting terminology to ground the escalating tension in a realistic context.
Meaning: "At this moment, she hears the sounds of the hunting dogs in a fierce confrontation with their prey."

Line 2: "Whereat she starts, like one that spies an adder"

"Whereat": At which point; in response to which.
"she starts": She jumps suddenly or recoils in shock and alarm. This immediate, involuntary reaction highlights the severity of the news.
"like one that spies an adder": A simile comparing Venus's sudden, fearful reaction to someone unexpectedly seeing a venomous snake (an adder). This comparison immediately establishes the profound terror and sense of imminent, deadly danger that the sound evokes in her. Shakespeare chose "adder" for its common association with sudden, venomous attack and death.
Meaning: "Upon hearing this, she recoils sharply, just like a person who suddenly sees a venomous snake."

Line 3: "Wreath’d up in fatal folds just in his way,"

"Wreath’d up": Coiled or twisted around itself; describing the snake's posture before striking. This imagery suggests a readiness for a deadly attack.
"fatal folds": The deadly coils of the snake; "fatal" emphasizes the life-threatening nature of the snake's presence and its potential to deliver a lethal bite. Shakespeare uses "fatal" to heighten the sense of dread and foreboding.
"just in his way": Directly in one's path, unavoidable or unexpected. This phrase intensifies the suddenness and inescapable nature of the perceived threat, making the fear more visceral.
Meaning: "The snake is coiled up in deadly convolutions, right in his path, making escape seem impossible."

Line 4: "The fear whereof doth make him shake and shudder;"

"whereof": Of which; referring to the fear caused by the sight of the adder.
"doth make him shake and shudder": Causes the person to tremble uncontrollably and shiver with intense fright. This describes the extreme physical manifestations of deep, sudden fear, emphasizing the overwhelming nature of the emotion.
Meaning: "And the intense fear caused by that sight makes the person tremble uncontrollably and shiver."

Line 5: "Even so the timorous yelping of the hounds"

"Even so": In the same way; this phrase explicitly connects the extended simile back to Venus's own experience, confirming that her reaction is as profound as the one described.
"timorous yelping": The frightened or fearful barking and crying of the hounds. "Timorous" (fearful) is a crucial detail, indicating that even the hunting dogs are experiencing fear or distress, suggesting the immense danger posed by the boar, rather than a successful pursuit. This choice of word highlights the severity of the situation.
Meaning: "Just in the same way, the frightened and distressed barking of the hunting dogs"

Line 6: "Appals her senses, and her spirit confounds."

"Appals her senses": Overwhelms, horrifies, or paralyzes her sensory perception with dread. It suggests a profound shock that numbs her physical and mental faculties.
"her spirit confounds": Confuses, disorients, or utterly overwhelms her mind and inner being. "Confounds" implies a complete disruption of her composure, thought, and emotional stability, suggesting her very soul is thrown into disarray by the terror. Shakespeare uses these strong verbs to convey the depth of her emotional collapse.
Meaning: "Horrifies her senses and utterly overwhelms her mind and spirit."

🎭 Literary Devices

Device	Example	Effect
Simile	"like one that spies an adder / Wreath’d up in fatal folds just in his way, / The fear whereof doth make him shake and shudder;" (Lines 2-4)	Vividly illustrates the suddenness and intensity of Venus's fear, equating it to encountering a deadly, unavoidable threat. It conveys the primal, instinctive terror she experiences at the news of Adonis's immediate danger.
Imagery	"adder / Wreath’d up in fatal folds," "shake and shudder," "timorous yelping"	Engages the reader's senses and imagination, creating a strong visual of immediate danger and a palpable sense of fear and distress. The "fatal folds" enhance the sense of unavoidable peril, while "timorous yelping" paints a grim auditory picture of the hunt's dire turn.
Personification	"timorous yelping of the hounds" (Line 5)	Attributes the human emotion of fear ("timorous") to the hounds. This amplifies the sense of danger, as even the hunting animals are portrayed as being afraid, suggesting the boar's ferocity and the perilousness of the situation for Adonis.
Foreshadowing	The entire simile comparing the boar (implicitly) to a "fatal" adder and the "timorous yelping" of the hounds.	Creates a strong sense of impending doom and hints at the violent and tragic outcome of Adonis's hunt. The immediate and overwhelming fear Venus experiences serves as a premonition of the fatal events to come, building dramatic tension.
Pathos	"Appals her senses, and her spirit confounds." (Line 6)	Evokes pity and sympathy for Venus, showing the depth of her love for Adonis through her intense emotional and psychological suffering. Her complete breakdown in the face of this news highlights her vulnerability and desperation.

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

This stanza marks a pivotal moment in "Venus and Adonis," transforming Venus's abstract anxieties about Adonis's hunting into immediate, terrifying reality. Up to this point, Venus has largely been in pursuit of Adonis, attempting to persuade him of the joys of love over the dangers of the hunt. Her fears, though frequently expressed, have been anticipatory. Here, the "timorous yelping of the hounds" signifies that the danger is no longer potential but present and overwhelming.

The elaborate simile comparing Venus's sudden reaction to seeing a "fatal" adder is crucial. It underscores the profound, instinctual terror that grips her, elevating her concern from mere worry to a primal fear for life. The "fatal folds" and the "shake and shudder" convey the absolute horror of a deadly, unavoidable encounter. The personification of the hounds as "timorous" is particularly significant; it suggests that even the trained hunting dogs are afraid, highlighting the immense and deadly power of the boar, thereby intensifying the dread for Adonis's safety.

Ultimately, this stanza acts as a powerful turning point and a strong piece of foreshadowing. It signals the imminent tragedy of Adonis's death, contrasting the earlier playful, though insistent, pursuit of love by Venus with the harsh, undeniable reality of mortality. Venus's "appalled senses" and "confounded spirit" reveal the depth of her love and the devastating impact of its potential loss, reinforcing the poem's broader themes of passionate desire confronting inevitable death, and the destructive nature of the hunt. It underscores the poem's tragic arc, moving definitively towards Adonis's demise and Venus's subsequent grief.