🌹 Stanza 158 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

‘Hadst thou but bid beware, then he had spoke,
And, hearing him, thy power had lost his power.     
The Destinies will curse thee for this stroke;
They bid thee crop a weed, thou pluck’st a flower.
Love’s golden arrow at him shoull have fled,
And not Death’s ebon dart, to strike him dead.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: ‘Hadst thou but bid beware, then he had spoke,

• "Hadst thou but bid beware": This phrase translates to "If only you (or some guiding force) had warned him." "Hadst" is an archaic form of "had," and "thou" is an archaic second-person singular pronoun for "you." "Bid" is the past participle of "to bid," meaning "commanded" or "advised." Venus is lamenting a missed opportunity for a crucial warning.
• "then he had spoke": This means "then he would have spoken" or "then he would have heeded (the warning)." "Spoke" is used here as an archaic past participle for "spoken." The implication is that Adonis would have listened and potentially avoided his fate.
• Meaning: If only a warning had been issued, then Adonis would have spoken (and perhaps understood or acted upon it).

Line 2: And, hearing him, thy power had lost his power.

• "hearing him": This refers to the potential act of Adonis hearing and responding to the warning.
• "thy power had lost his power": "Thy" refers to Venus. "His" here is an archaic possessive form meaning "its" (referring to the power of the warning, or the power of fate/death). Venus means that if the warning had been effective and Adonis had responded, then her own power (her divine power to intervene, or her role as protector) would have been rendered unnecessary or diminished because the danger would have been averted without her direct intervention. The irony is that her power was not "lost" in this benign way, but rather proven insufficient in the tragic outcome.
• Meaning: And if that warning had been heard and acted upon by him, then your (Venus's) power (to control events or save him) would have been diminished or rendered unnecessary because the danger would have been averted.

Line 3: The Destinies will curse thee for this stroke;

• "The Destinies": This refers to the three Fates (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos) from Greek mythology, who were believed to control the thread of human life. They embody the concept of inescapable fate or destiny. Shakespeare uses them to emphasize the inevitability and profound nature of the tragedy.
• "will curse thee": Venus is here addressing herself in self-reproach, or perhaps an abstract, personified force responsible for this misfortune. She feels that even the Fates themselves would condemn this tragic outcome.
• "for this stroke": This refers to Adonis's death, perceived as a sudden, devastating blow or misfortune. "Stroke" emphasizes the quick and fatal nature of the incident.
• Meaning: The Fates themselves will condemn you (Venus, or the misguiding force) for this tragic blow (Adonis's death).

Line 4: They bid thee crop a weed, thou pluck’st a flower.

• "They bid thee crop a weed": "They" refers to the Destinies or the supposed warning. "Bid thee crop a weed" means "they commanded you (Venus) to cut down or remove something undesirable or harmful." "Weed" metaphorically represents a threat or danger that should have been eliminated. Shakespeare uses "weed" to symbolize something unwanted and potentially harmful.
• "thou pluck’st a flower": This means "but instead, you pulled up a flower." "Pluck'st" is an archaic form of "pluckest." "Flower" is a metaphor for Adonis, symbolizing his beauty, youth, and preciousness. This line highlights Venus's profound regret and the cruel irony of the situation: she believes she was instructed to remove a threat, but instead, she destroyed the very thing she cherished most.
• Meaning: They (the Fates or warning forces) told you to destroy something harmful, but instead you destroyed something beautiful and precious (Adonis).

Line 5: Love’s golden arrow at him shoull have fled,

• "Love’s golden arrow": This is a direct allusion to Cupid's arrows, specifically the golden-tipped arrows that cause love and desire. "Golden" symbolizes purity, value, and the positive, life-affirming aspect of love.
• "at him shoull have fled": This means "should have been aimed at him and found its mark." "Shoull" is an archaic spelling of "should." Venus expresses her desire that Adonis should have been struck by love, particularly her love, rather than by death.
• Meaning: Instead, the arrow of love should have pierced him.

Line 6: And not Death’s ebon dart, to strike him dead.

• "Death’s ebon dart": This refers to an arrow or spear associated with Death. "Ebon" (from ebony) implies a dark, black, and hard material, symbolizing the grim, unyielding, and final nature of death. This contrasts sharply with "Love's golden arrow," emphasizing the opposition between life/love and death.
• "to strike him dead": This phrase directly states the fatal outcome.
• Meaning: And not the dark, fatal dart of Death, to kill him.

🎭 Literary Devices

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

This stanza is a powerful expression of Venus's profound grief and self-reproach following Adonis's death. It marks a crucial turning point in the poem, moving from the pursuit of love to the lament over its loss. Venus articulates a sense of cosmic injustice, suggesting that the "Destinies" (Fates) were complicit in a cruel trick. The core of her lament lies in the tragic irony presented in line 4: "They bid thee crop a weed, thou pluck’st a flower." She feels she was misled, or perhaps tragically misinterpreted a divine sign, leading her to destroy the very beauty she adored (Adonis) instead of the actual threat.

This stanza reinforces several broader themes of Venus and Adonis:

• The Fragility of Beauty and Youth: Adonis, consistently portrayed as the epitome of youthful beauty ("a flower"), is abruptly cut down, underscoring the transient and vulnerable nature of such perfection in the face of death.
• The Inevitability of Fate vs. Human Will: Despite Venus's divine status and immense passion, she is ultimately powerless against the forces of destiny or the tragic turn of events. Her blaming of the "Destinies" highlights the poem's exploration of fate's role in human affairs, contrasting it with her earlier attempts to assert her will over Adonis.
• The Destructive Nature of Misguided Passion/Intervention: While Venus initially seeks to impose her love on Adonis, this stanza suggests that even well-intentioned (or divinely-guided) actions can lead to devastating consequences if misinterpreted or if fate intervenes. Her lament reveals a deep regret that she seemingly played a part in his demise through a terrible misunderstanding.
• The Triumph of Death over Love: The stark contrast between "Love’s golden arrow" and "Death’s ebon dart" powerfully symbolizes the ultimate victory of death over Venus's passionate, life-affirming love. This moment sets the stage for Venus's subsequent curse on love, forever mingling it with sorrow and setting the melancholic tone for the rest of the poem. The stanza therefore serves as a pivotal emotional and thematic climax, transforming the poem from a tale of seduction to a meditation on grief and the cruel caprices of existence.