🌹 Stanza 197 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

'Poor flower,' quoth she, 'this was thy father's guise,
Sweet issue of a more sweet-smelling sire,
For every little grief to wet his eyes:
To grow unto himself was his desire,       
And so 'tis shine; but know, it is as good
To wither in my breast as in his blood.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: "'Poor flower,' quoth she, 'this was thy father's guise,"

• "Poor flower": Pitiful flower, unfortunate blossom. Venus expresses sympathy for the flower's inherited nature.
• "quoth she": Said she, Venus declared. This introduces her address to the flower as Adonis's child.
• "this was thy father's guise": This was your father's habit or way. The flower has inherited Adonis's characteristics.
• Meaning: "'Poor flower,' she said, 'this was your father's way,"

Line 2: "Sweet issue of a more sweet-smelling sire,"

• "Sweet issue": Beautiful offspring, lovely child. Venus addresses the flower as Adonis's descendant.
• "of a more sweet-smelling sire": Of an even more fragrant father. Adonis was more aromatic than his flower-child.
• Meaning: "Sweet child of an even sweeter-scented father,"

Line 3: "For every little grief to wet his eyes:"

• "For every little grief": For each small sorrow, for any minor sadness. Adonis was easily moved to tears.
• "to wet his eyes": To make his eyes moist, to cause him to weep. He cried frequently and easily.
• Meaning: "To weep at every small sorrow:"

Line 4: "To grow unto himself was his desire,"

• "To grow unto himself": To develop in isolation, to mature in solitude. Adonis preferred self-development to relationships.
• "was his desire": Was what he wanted, was his wish. This was his chosen path.
• Meaning: "To grow in solitude was his desire,"

Line 5: "And so 'tis shine; but know, it is as good"

• "And so 'tis shine": And so it is yours too, and this is also your nature. The flower inherited this tendency.
• "but know": But understand, but be aware. Venus offers wisdom to the flower.
• "it is as good": It is equally beneficial, it is just as advantageous. She proposes an alternative.
• Meaning: "And so it is your nature too; but know, it is just as good"

Line 6: "To wither in my breast as in his blood."

• "To wither in my breast": To fade and die within her heart, to decay in her loving care.
• "as in his blood": As it would in his life-essence, as it would in the ground where his blood fell.
• Meaning: "To fade in my breast as in his blood."

🎭 Literary Devices

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

This stanza presents Venus adopting the flower as Adonis's child and heir, while gently arguing against his inherited tendency toward solitude and self-sufficiency.

The Maternal Transformation: Venus shifts from lover to mother, addressing the flower as "sweet issue" and speaking with parental tenderness and authority. Her relationship with Adonis continues through generational care.

Hereditary Characteristics: Venus identifies that the flower has inherited Adonis's "guise" of weeping easily and preferring solitude. This suggests that essential character traits survive transformation and can be passed to offspring.

The Weeping Nature: Both Adonis and his flower-child share the tendency to "wet" their "eyes" (release moisture) at "every little grief." This creates continuity between human tears and plant sap.

The Preference for Solitude: Venus acknowledges that "to grow unto himself was his desire," recognizing Adonis's preference for independence over relationship. The flower inherits this isolating tendency.

Gentle Persuasion: Rather than forcing the flower into relationship, Venus uses gentle reasoning—"but know, it is as good"—to suggest that love and care are equally valid choices.

The Democracy of Withering: Venus presents withering "in my breast" as equivalent to withering "in his blood," making her love equal to his natural origins. Both locations offer valid ways to complete the life cycle.

Protective Motherhood: By offering to let the flower "wither in my breast," Venus provides a loving environment for decline rather than abandonment to natural decay.

The Continuation of Character: The flower's inheritance of Adonis's emotional and social traits suggests that transformation preserves personality rather than just physical appearance.

Loving Acceptance: Venus accepts the flower's inherited nature while offering an alternative, showing mature love that respects choice while providing care.

The Cycle of Care: This stanza transforms Venus's frustrated romantic love into successful parental love, allowing her to finally nurture rather than overwhelm.

Sweet Gradation: The comparison of father and child's fragrances ("more sweet-smelling sire") suggests that beauty can be passed down through generations, though perhaps in diminished form.

This stanza shows Venus successfully transitioning from destructive romantic love to nurturing parental love, offering the flower-Adonis the care and choice that she couldn't provide to the human Adonis.