Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis
Two glasses where herself herself beheld
A thousand times, and now no more reflect;
Their virtue lost, wherein they late excell'd,
And every beauty robb'd of his effect:
'Wonder of time,' quoth she, 'this is my spite,
That, you being dead, the day should yet be light.
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Mirror Metaphor | "Two glasses where herself herself beheld" | Transforms eyes into mirrors that reflected Venus's image |
| Repetition | "herself herself" | Emphasizes the narcissistic nature of Venus's gaze |
| Personification | Eyes that "excell'd" and lost "virtue" | Gives human qualities to body parts |
| Cosmic Complaint | Day continuing to be light | Suggests the universe should respond to personal loss |
| Direct Address | "Wonder of time" | Venus speaks to the dead as if he could hear |
| Paradox | World unchanged despite cosmic loss | Contrasts personal devastation with universal indifference |
| Metaphorical Robbery | Beauty "robb'd of his effect" | Presents death as theft of beauty's power |
| Hyperbole | "A thousand times" | Exaggerates the frequency of her self-admiration |
This stanza reveals Venus's narcissistic relationship with Adonis—she valued his eyes primarily as mirrors for her own beauty—and her outrage that the universe continues unchanged despite her personal loss.
The Narcissistic Revelation: Venus's primary relationship with Adonis's eyes was narcissistic—she used them as "glasses" to see "herself herself." This reveals that even her great love was fundamentally self-centered.
The Function of Beauty: Venus valued Adonis not for his own sake but for his capacity to reflect her beauty back to her. His eyes were mirrors that confirmed her attractiveness "a thousand times."
The Loss of Reflection: Death has ended not just Adonis's life but Venus's ability to see herself reflected in his admiring gaze. She has lost her primary source of self-validation.
Universal vs. Personal Loss: Venus argues that "every beauty" has been "robb'd of his effect"—she claims Adonis's death has universally diminished beauty's power, though this may reflect her own loss of self-reflection.
The Cosmic Injustice: Venus's "spite" is that the day continues to be bright despite Adonis's death. She expects the universe to reflect her personal loss through cosmic mourning.
The Indifferent Universe: The continuation of daylight represents the universe's indifference to personal loss—the world doesn't stop for individual grief, no matter how intense.
The Wonder Lost: By calling Adonis "Wonder of time," Venus presents his death as the loss of something miraculous that the age will never see again.
The Failure of Sympathy: Venus expects pathetic fallacy—that nature should respond to human loss by dimming the sun—but reality offers no such cosmic sympathy.
Self-Centered Grief: Even in mourning Adonis, Venus focuses on her own loss (no more reflections of herself) rather than his inherent value as a person.
The Economics of Beauty: Venus sees beauty as having "effect"—power to create change and admiration. Adonis's death has disrupted this economy by removing a key participant.
Time's Indifference: "Wonder of time" suggests Adonis was time's greatest achievement, yet time continues unmoved by the loss of its own masterpiece.
This stanza shows how even the most passionate love can be fundamentally narcissistic, and how personal loss feels like cosmic injustice when the universe fails to mirror our private grief.