Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis
By this, far off she hears some huntsman holloa;
A nurse's song no'er pleas'd her babe so well:
The dire imagination she did follow
This sound of hope doth labour to expel;
For now reviving joy bids her rejoice,
And flatters her it is Adonis' voice.
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Simile | "A nurse's song no'er pleas'd her babe so well" | Compares Venus's relief to a baby's comfort from a lullaby |
| Personification | Joy "bids her rejoice," sound "labours to expel" | Makes emotions and sounds into active agents |
| Contrast | "dire imagination" vs. "sound of hope" | Juxtaposes despair and hope as competing forces |
| Metaphor | Sound as agent of hope fighting dark thoughts | Presents mental battle between positive and negative thoughts |
| Maternal Imagery | "nurse's song," "babe" | Creates tender, nurturing context for Venus's desperate need for comfort |
| Military Language | "labour to expel" | Describes mental states in terms of battle and conquest |
| Self-Deception | "flatters her it is Adonis' voice" | Shows how desperate hope creates pleasant illusions |
| Temporal Transition | "By this" | Marks shift from despair to sudden hope |
This stanza captures the moment when Venus's despair is suddenly interrupted by hope, showing how the grieving mind grasps at any possibility of comfort. It explores the psychology of loss and the way hope can temporarily overcome even the darkest thoughts.
The Power of Sound: A simple huntsman's call becomes monumentally significant to Venus because it represents the possibility that Adonis might still be alive. This shows how grief makes us hypersensitive to any sign of hope.
Maternal Comfort Imagery: The comparison to a nurse's song creates a tender context for Venus's desperate need for comfort. She's reduced to the emotional state of a baby who needs soothing.
The Battle of Mental States: The stanza presents hope and despair as active forces fighting for control of Venus's mind. Hope must "labour to expel" the dire thoughts, suggesting mental struggle requires effort.
Self-Deception as Mercy: The word "flatters" suggests that Venus knows on some level that she's deceiving herself, but the deception is welcome because it provides temporary relief from unbearable grief.
The Cycle of Grief: This stanza shows how grief isn't linear but cyclical—moments of devastating despair can suddenly be interrupted by surges of hope, even if that hope is unfounded.
The Fragility of Hope: While joy "revives" and "bids her rejoice," the word "flatters" hints that this hope may be false, setting up potential for even greater disappointment.
Sound as Salvation: The huntsman's call represents how external stimuli can break through internal despair. The physical world intrudes on Venus's mental anguish with potential rescue.
The Desperation of Love: Venus's eagerness to believe the voice is Adonis's shows how love makes us willing to embrace even unlikely possibilities rather than face loss.
Temporal Urgency: "By this" suggests the rapid emotional shifts that characterize intense grief—despair can be instantly replaced by hope with no warning or transition.
The Psychology of Trauma: The stanza accurately depicts how traumatic loss makes people hypersensitive to any stimulus that might contradict their worst fears.
This stanza effectively captures the emotional whiplash of grief, where hope and despair battle for dominance in the grieving mind, and any external sign can tip the balance temporarily toward hope.