🌹 Stanza 154 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

When he hath ceas’d his ill-resounding noise,
Another flap-mouth’d mourner, black and grim,       
Against the welkin volleys out his voice;
Another and another answer him,
Clapping their proud tails to the ground below,
Shaking their scratch’d ears, bleeding as they go.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: "When he hath ceas’d his ill-resounding noise,"

• "he": Refers to a specific hound that has just finished its mournful cry.
• "hath ceas’d": An archaic way of saying "has ceased" or "has stopped." It indicates the conclusion of one hound's cry before another begins.
• "ill-resounding noise": A harsh, unpleasant, or ominous sound. "Ill" here conveys a negative quality, suggesting the sound is foreboding or indicative of misfortune. The "noise" is the mournful baying or howling of a hound, which is described as "ill-resounding" because it carries a sense of distress, sorrow, or a bad omen, fitting the tragic turn of events (Adonis's death). Shakespeare chose "ill" to infuse the sound with a powerful emotional weight, signaling the impending or realized tragedy.
• Meaning: "When that particular hound has finished making its unpleasant, echoing cry,"

Line 2: "Another flap-mouth’d mourner, black and grim,"

• "Another": Signifies that this is one more hound joining a succession of grieving animals.
• "flap-mouth’d": Describes the characteristic loose, hanging jowls of certain hound breeds, which would flap as they ran or vocalized. This is a vivid, sensory detail that makes the dogs' appearance immediate and visceral, emphasizing their breed characteristics commonly associated with hunting dogs.
• "mourner": This is a powerful personification, attributing human-like grief and sorrow to the hound. It highlights the tragic atmosphere and the dogs' shared distress over the hunt's outcome, signifying their profound, almost human, reaction to the unfolding disaster (Adonis's death). Shakespeare uses "mourner" to elevate the dogs' role beyond mere animals, making them active participants in the scene of lamentation.
• "black and grim": Describes the hounds' appearance. "Black" adds to the somber, funereal atmosphere, a common color for hounds. "Grim" suggests a harsh, stern, or unyielding appearance, fitting the scene of distress and the severity of the situation. It reinforces the ominous and sorrowful mood.
• Meaning: "Another hound with hanging jowls, looking dark and stern, like a grieving person,"

Line 3: "Against the welkin volleys out his voice;"

• "Against the welkin": Towards the sky or heavens. "Welkin" is an archaic word for the sky. This imagery emphasizes the volume and direction of the hound's cry – it's a loud, desperate sound directed upwards, perhaps in a plea or an expression of profound distress.
• "volleys out his voice": Emits his voice in a loud, forceful, or rapid succession, similar to a volley of shots or a sudden, powerful outburst. This powerful verb suggests an unrestrained outpouring of sound, a loud, sustained cry of anguish or pain, again emphasizing the intensity of the hounds' lament. Shakespeare chose "volleys" to convey the force and continuous, almost aggressive, nature of the sound, making it a powerful expression of grief.
• Meaning: "Loudly sends out his mournful cry towards the sky;"

Line 4: "Another and another answer him,"

• "Another and another": This repetition emphasizes the sheer number of hounds joining the lament, creating a widespread chorus of sorrow. It builds on the previous lines to show the collective and widespread distress among the animals.
• "answer him": They respond to the previous hound's cry, creating a cacophony of mournful sounds. This signifies a collective reaction, a shared experience of distress or grief, suggesting a communal expression of sorrow.
• Meaning: "And then many more hounds respond to his cry,"

Line 5: "Clapping their proud tails to the ground below,"

• "Clapping their proud tails": An unusual and striking image. While dogs usually wag their tails in happiness, "clapping" here suggests a forceful, rhythmic striking of the tail against the ground. "Proud" might refer to the noble way hunting hounds typically carry their tails, or it could be ironic given their current state of mourning. The action signifies agitation, distress, or a physical manifestation of their grief, perhaps beating the ground in sorrow or frustration. It's a vivid, anthropomorphic detail of their physical expression of distress. Shakespeare's use of "proud" could be a poignant contrast to their current suffering, or simply a description of their inherent bearing now twisted by sorrow.
• Meaning: "Forcefully striking their naturally uplifted tails against the ground,"

Line 6: "Shaking their scratch’d ears, bleeding as they go."

• "Shaking their scratch’d ears": The hounds are likely injured from the hunt, specifically from grappling with the boar or moving through rough terrain. Shaking their ears suggests discomfort, pain, or perhaps an attempt to alleviate irritation. "Scratch'd" implies injury.
• "bleeding as they go": This is the clearest indication of their physical suffering and the violent nature of the hunt. It brings a grim reality to the scene, showing the physical toll on the animals. It emphasizes the brutal aftermath of the encounter with the boar and adds to the somber and tragic atmosphere.
• Meaning: "And shaking their injured, bleeding ears as they move."

🎭 Literary Devices

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

Stanza 154 vividly portrays the immediate aftermath of the fatal encounter between Adonis and the boar, focusing on the hounds. The stanza paints a grim and somber picture of the hunting dogs, who are depicted not merely as animals, but as participants in the tragedy, expressing deep distress and grief. Their "ill-resounding noise," collective "mourning," and physical injuries ("scratch'd ears, bleeding") underscore the violence and futility of the hunt. The personification of the hounds as "mourners" is particularly significant; it humanizes their suffering, making their lament a poignant precursor to Venus's own impending grief. They serve as a chorus of lament, amplifying the sense of loss and sorrow that pervades the scene. This stanza effectively sets a bleak, tragic tone for the remainder of the poem, foreshadowing the full revelation of Adonis's death and emphasizing the destructive consequences of the hunt. It connects to the broader themes of the poem by illustrating the grim reality of unchecked passion (Adonis's passion for hunting leading to his demise) and the widespread suffering that follows. The physical toll on the animals also highlights the brutal and ultimately futile nature of the chase, reinforcing the poem's critique of the pursuit of dangerous desires.