🌹 Stanza 174 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

Where they resign their office and their light
To the disposing of her troubled brain;    
Who bids them still consort with ugly night,
And never wound the heart with looks again;
Who, like a king perplexed in his throne,
By their suggestion gives a deadly groan,

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: "Where they resign their office and their light"

"Where they": Refers to Venus's eyes, specifically, but generalized to the concept of sight itself. The preceding stanza establishes the eyes as instruments of love's "fire."
"resign their office": To give up or surrender their function, duty, or appointed task. The "office" of the eyes is to see, to perceive beauty, and to transmit emotion and love, as well as to reflect inner feelings. Shakespeare uses "office" to denote a formal, almost bureaucratic function, emphasizing the deliberate act of ceasing this role.
"and their light": This refers to the light the eyes perceive (vision itself), but also metaphorically to the brightness or liveliness associated with eyes, and perhaps even the light of day that allows sight. Venus wishes for perpetual darkness for her eyes, mirroring her internal despair.
Meaning: "Where the eyes give up their function and their ability to see or shine."

Line 2: "To the disposing of her troubled brain;"

"To the disposing of": To be under the control, command, or direction of. It implies that the eyes are now subservient to the will of her distressed mind.
"her troubled brain": Venus's mind, which is in a state of profound distress, grief, and emotional turmoil following Adonis's death. This highlights the psychological impact of her loss, as her internal state dictates the function of her physical senses.
Meaning: "To be controlled by her distressed and grief-stricken mind."

Line 3: "Who bids them still consort with ugly night,"

"Who": Refers back to "her troubled brain," indicating that it is the brain that issues these commands to the eyes.
"bids them": Commands or instructs the eyes. This reinforces the brain's authority, even in its troubled state.
"still consort with": To perpetually associate with or keep company with. "Still" means always or constantly.
"ugly night": Night or darkness, described as "ugly" because it signifies the absence of light, beauty, and life. It represents the gloom of Venus's sorrow and her desire to be shielded from anything that could remind her of her loss or incite new pain. Shakespeare uses "ugly" to convey the extreme repugnance Venus now feels towards anything that might lead to beauty or love.
Meaning: "Which commands them always to remain in the darkness of night,"

Line 4: "And never wound the heart with looks again;"

"never wound the heart": To never cause pain, sorrow, or emotional harm to the heart. This reflects Venus's deep anguish and her desire to prevent any future suffering caused by love.
"with looks again": Through the act of seeing or being seen; through glances, appearances, or the perception of beauty. "Looks" here can refer both to the gazes of the eyes (which transmit love or desire) and to the objects looked upon (like Adonis's beauty, which initiated her love and subsequent sorrow). Shakespeare emphasizes the visual aspect as the source of her pain.
Meaning: "And never again cause pain to the heart through sight or appearance."

Line 5: "Who, like a king perplexed in his throne,"

"Who": Again refers to "her troubled brain," continuing the description of its state.
"like a king perplexed in his throne": A vivid simile comparing Venus's troubled brain to a monarch who is confused, bewildered, or deeply disturbed while still holding power. This highlights the paradox of the brain: it is in command (on its "throne" of the body) but is internally disoriented and suffering. Shakespeare uses this image to convey a sense of power undermined by profound emotional distress.
"perplexed": Deeply troubled, confused, or uncertain, suggesting a mind that is not at peace despite its authority.
Meaning: "The brain, like a king confused and distressed on his royal seat,"

Line 6: "By their suggestion gives a deadly groan,"

"By their suggestion": "Their" refers to the eyes, or more broadly, the experiences and consequences brought about by the eyes (i.e., the perception of Adonis's beauty and the subsequent love and loss). It's the painful result of sight that prompts the brain's reaction, not the eyes giving advice.
"gives a deadly groan": Emits a profound, mournful sound of despair that suggests an overwhelming, perhaps even fatal, level of sorrow. "Deadly" emphasizes the intensity and potentially destructive nature of this grief, implying it's soul-crushing.
Meaning: "Utters a deeply sorrowful sound due to the consequences of what the eyes have shown it."

🎭 Literary Devices

Device	Example	Effect
Personification	"they resign their office" (eyes)	Grants human agency to the eyes, emphasizing Venus's deliberate wish for them to cease their function, as if they are employees quitting a job.
Personification	"her troubled brain; Who bids them"	Imbues the brain with the ability to command and act, highlighting its dominant role in Venus's state and decision-making, even while it is suffering.
Metaphor	"their office" (of eyes)	Describes the eyes' function as a formal duty, underscoring the structured, almost contractual way Venus views their role in her experience of love and beauty.
Simile	"Who, like a king perplexed in his throne"	Compares the distressed brain to a confused monarch, conveying a sense of authoritative power that is nonetheless deeply troubled and ineffective in its own emotional management, emphasizing internal conflict and a breakdown of mental order.
Imagery	"ugly night," "deadly groan"	Evokes a sense of deep despair and revulsion. "Ugly night" represents her desire for complete darkness and avoidance of beauty, while "deadly groan" conveys the profound, almost fatal, nature of her sorrow.
Paradox/Irony	Brain, the seat of reason, is "troubled"	Creates a sense of the mind being overwhelmed by emotion. The controlling faculty (the brain) is itself out of control, unable to find peace despite its power to command the senses, highlighting the destructive power of grief.
Apostrophe	(Implied address/condemnation of the eyes/sight)	While not a direct address, Venus's forceful commands and renunciation directed at her eyes give them a sense of being an addressed entity, amplifying her bitterness and the severity of her internal decree against love and beauty.

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

This stanza is a poignant articulation of Venus's profound grief and her subsequent rejection of the very source of her passion: sight and beauty. Following Adonis's tragic death, Venus blames her eyes and the act of seeing for the unbearable pain she now endures. She commands her eyes to "resign their office," to cease their function of perceiving beauty, and to consort perpetually with "ugly night," effectively choosing darkness over light, sorrow over joy. This marks a radical departure from her earlier, unbridled pursuit of Adonis, whose beauty captivated her.

The "troubled brain" acting "like a king perplexed in his throne" is a crucial image, symbolizing the internal chaos and a breakdown of reason within Venus. Her mind, the seat of her will, is overwhelmed by sorrow, yet it still attempts to exert control, albeit in a self-destructive manner. The "deadly groan" epitomizes the depth of her despair, suggesting a pain so intense it is almost fatal.

In the broader context of Venus and Adonis, this stanza is a pivotal moment in Venus's transformation and her curse on love. Before Adonis's death, love was depicted as a passionate, often delightful, but sometimes frustrating force. Here, it is irrevocably linked with suffering and death. Venus's curse—that love should henceforth be associated with "sorrow," "frequent sighs," "short pleasure," and "long pain"—is directly foreshadowed and motivated by the intense anguish expressed in this stanza. She seeks to prevent any future "looks" from "wound[ing] the heart again," reflecting a complete renunciation of love's beautiful, yet ultimately painful, allure. This stanza therefore encapsulates the tragic consequences of unchecked passion and the devastating impact of loss, leading to a redefinition of love within the poem's thematic framework.