📚 Overview

🌹 Stanza 21 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

‘Art thou asham’d to kiss? then wink again,
And I will wink; so shall the day seem night;
Love keeps his revels where there are but twain;
Be bold to play, our sport is not in sight:
These blue-vein’d violets whereon we lean
Never can blab, nor know not what we mean.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: ‘Art thou asham’d to kiss? then wink again,

Line 2: And I will wink; so shall the day seem night;

Line 3: Love keeps his revels where there are but twain;

Line 4: Be bold to play, our sport is not in sight:

Line 5: These blue-vein’d violets whereon we lean

Line 6: Never can blab, nor know not what we mean.

🎭 Literary Devices

Device Example Effect
Personification "Love keeps his revels" Gives Love an active, celebratory role, suggesting that it thrives in a specific, private environment, thereby strengthening Venus's argument for intimacy.
Personification "These blue-vein’d violets... Never can blab" Attributes human capabilities (speaking, knowing) to the flowers, then denies them, emphasizing their inability to betray secrets and thus assuring Adonis of complete privacy and discretion.
Metaphor "so shall the day seem night" Compares the act of closing eyes to transforming day into night, symbolizing the creation of a private, unobserved space for intimacy, traditionally associated with nighttime activities.
Alliteration "wink... will wink" Creates a gentle, rhythmic flow, reinforcing the playful and reciprocal nature of the proposed action (closing eyes), making Venus's suggestion more appealing.
Double Negative "nor know not what we mean" Emphasizes the certainty of the statement; it functions as a strong affirmation that the violets are utterly oblivious and cannot comprehend their actions, thereby enhancing the sense of secure privacy.
Imagery "These blue-vein'd violets" Creates a vivid, sensory picture of their surroundings, enhancing the pastoral and natural setting. The detail "blue-vein'd" adds a delicate, almost human-like quality to the flowers, subtly linking them to the lovers' physical forms.
Rhetorical Question "Art thou asham’d to kiss?" Directly addresses Adonis's reluctance, drawing him into the conversation and setting up Venus's subsequent persuasive arguments and reassurances.
Euphemism "our sport" Softens the direct reference to sexual activity, making it seem more playful and less overtly demanding, which might be more palatable to the modest Adonis.

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

This stanza is a pivotal moment in Venus's relentless pursuit of Adonis, showcasing her sophisticated persuasive tactics. Unable to elicit a kiss directly, she shifts her strategy from overt seduction to reassuring Adonis about the absolute privacy and discretion of their potential interaction.

The overall meaning of the stanza is Venus's fervent attempt to convince Adonis that there is no shame, no risk of exposure, and every reason to embrace physical love with her. She addresses his shyness directly ("Art thou asham'd to kiss?") and offers a playful solution (closing eyes to make "day seem night"), which metaphorically creates a private, unobserved world for them. Her argument hinges on the idea that "Love keeps his revels where there are but twain," emphasizing that true passion flourishes only in complete secrecy between two individuals. She further bolsters this by reassuring him that "our sport is not in sight," and even the natural elements around them—the "blue-vein'd violets"—are incapable of "blab[bing]" or understanding their intentions.

In the broader context of Venus and Adonis, this stanza highlights several key themes:

  1. The Nature of Love and Desire: Venus embodies carnal, assertive love, contrasting sharply with Adonis's youthful innocence and preference for chaste pursuits (like hunting). Her persuasive arguments here are a core representation of the poem's exploration of desire, its irresistible force, and the lengths to which it will go.
  2. Persuasion and Rhetoric: This stanza exemplifies Venus's powerful rhetorical skills. She uses logic, flattery, reassurance, and vivid imagery to break down Adonis's resistance. Her arguments about privacy are central to her seduction, as she understands that Adonis's reluctance stems from modesty or aversion to public display.
  3. Nature as a Setting for Intimacy: The pastoral setting (the violets) is not just a backdrop but an active participant in Venus's argument. By personifying the flowers as incapable of betraying secrets, she attempts to use nature itself as a silent accomplice, reinforcing the idea of a safe, private space for their love. This contrasts with the poem's later depiction of nature as indifferent or even hostile to human desires.
  4. Innocence vs. Experience: The stanza directly confronts the clash between Adonis's virginity and Venus's seasoned desire. Her reassurances are designed to overcome his inexperience and shyness, demonstrating the gap between their understanding and approach to love.

Ultimately, this stanza is crucial in advancing Venus's campaign, demonstrating her strategic mind and the lengths she will go to achieve her amorous goals, while simultaneously setting the stage for Adonis's continued, yet ultimately futile, resistance.

📚 Overview