🌹 Stanza 28 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

‘Torches are made to light, jewels to wear,
Dainties to taste, fresh beauty for the use,        
Herbs for their smell, and sappy plants to bear;
Things growing to themselves are growth’s abuse:
Seeds spring from seeds, and beauty breedeth beauty;
Thou wast begot; to get it is thy duty.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: Torches are made to light, jewels to wear,

"Torches are made to light": This phrase establishes a simple, clear purpose for an object. Torches exist for the utility of providing light. Shakespeare uses this straightforward example to build an argument based on the inherent purpose of things.
"jewels to wear": Similarly, jewels, though beautiful, are not meant to be hidden but to be adorned and displayed. This reinforces the idea that beautiful things have a practical, intended use, leading into Venus's argument about Adonis's beauty.
Meaning: Torches are created to provide light, and jewels are made to be worn and displayed.

Line 2: Dainties to taste, fresh beauty for the use,

"Dainties to taste": "Dainties" refers to delicious or exquisite foods. The purpose of such food is to be consumed and enjoyed. This continues the pattern of linking an object's nature to its function.
"fresh beauty for the use": This is the pivotal phrase. "Fresh beauty" directly refers to Adonis's youth, vitality, and physical attractiveness. "For the use" implies a specific purpose or function, which Venus argues is procreation. This is a direct appeal to Adonis, suggesting that his beauty, like the other items listed, has an inherent utility – to be used to create more beauty through offspring. "Use" here carries the connotation of utility, function, and even sexual consumption in the context of Venus's persuasion. Shakespeare chose "use" to subtly imply the procreative act without being overtly crude, fitting the argument about purpose.
Meaning: Delicious foods are meant to be eaten, and youthful beauty (like yours) is meant to be put to its intended purpose (procreation).

Line 3: Herbs for their smell, and sappy plants to bear;

"Herbs for their smell": Herbs are grown for their fragrant properties, again highlighting a specific purpose linked to a sensory experience.
"sappy plants to bear": "Sappy" refers to plants full of sap, signifying vitality, life force, and the readiness to grow and produce. "To bear" means to produce fruit, seeds, or offspring. This phrase explicitly connects the natural world's reproductive cycle to Venus's argument, implying that plants' inherent purpose is to reproduce. This choice of words directly links to the concept of fertility and the continuation of life.
Meaning: Herbs are grown for their fragrance, and vibrant, vital plants are meant to produce fruit or offspring.

Line 4: Things growing to themselves are growth’s abuse:

"Things growing to themselves": This refers to entities (specifically people, in Venus's argument) that develop and mature but do not contribute to the continuation of their kind through reproduction. They exist solely for their own sake, without fulfilling a broader natural purpose. This directly criticizes Adonis's celibacy.
"are growth’s abuse": To grow and mature without reproducing is presented as a "misuse" or "perversion" of the natural process of growth itself. It implies that such self-contained existence goes against nature's fundamental design. Shakespeare uses "abuse" to convey a strong sense of moral or natural transgression, framing Adonis's refusal as a waste of his inherent potential.
Meaning: Anything that grows only for its own sake, without producing offspring, is a misuse or perversion of the very purpose of growth.

Line 5: Seeds spring from seeds, and beauty breedeth beauty;

"Seeds spring from seeds": This states a fundamental law of nature: reproduction is a cyclical process where new life originates from existing life. Seeds naturally generate more seeds, ensuring the species' continuation.
"beauty breedeth beauty": This extends the natural law of reproduction to human beauty. Venus argues that just as seeds produce more seeds, Adonis's exceptional beauty should produce more beauty through children. "Breedeth" directly implies procreation. Shakespeare uses this parallel to logically connect the natural world's reproductive imperative to Adonis's personal obligation.
Meaning: Just as seeds naturally produce more seeds, so too should beauty create more beauty through offspring.

Line 6: Thou wast begot; to get it is thy duty.

"Thou wast begot": This directly reminds Adonis of his own origin – that he himself was brought into existence through the act of procreation. This is a powerful rhetorical move, using his very existence as proof of the natural law.
"to get it is thy duty": "To get it" refers to the act of begetting, of fathering children, thereby continuing his lineage and beauty. "Duty" elevates the act from a choice to a moral or natural obligation. Venus presents procreation as an imperative, something Adonis must do, not just something he might do. Shakespeare uses "duty" to add a strong ethical dimension to her argument, making his refusal seem irresponsible.
Meaning: You yourself were born through procreation; therefore, it is your inescapable duty to beget offspring.

🎭 Literary Devices

Device	Example	Effect
Analogy/Parallelism	"Torches are made to light, jewels to wear, / Dainties to taste, fresh beauty for the use, / Herbs for their smell, and sappy plants to bear"	Venus uses a series of relatable examples from nature and everyday objects to establish a pattern of inherent purpose and utility. This builds a logical framework for her argument, making Adonis's "use" of his beauty seem equally natural and necessary.
Extended Metaphor	The comparison of human procreation (specifically Adonis's beauty producing offspring) to seeds springing from seeds and plants bearing fruit.	This extends the natural analogy throughout the stanza, reinforcing the idea that reproduction is a fundamental, unavoidable law of nature that applies equally to humans. It grounds Venus's argument in universal biological principles.
Rhetorical Persuasion	The entire stanza is structured as a logical argument, leading to a conclusion.	Venus attempts to intellectually convince Adonis by appealing to reason and natural law rather than just physical desire. It highlights her strategic and persuasive nature.
Apostrophe	"Thou wast begot; to get it is thy duty."	Direct address to Adonis, making the argument personal and accusatory. It underlines the directness and urgency of Venus's appeal to him specifically.
Personification	"growth’s abuse"	Growth is given the capacity to be "abused," imbuing it with a sense of purpose and allowing Venus to characterize Adonis's celibacy as a violation of this natural order.
Alliteration	"beauty breedeth beauty"	Creates a pleasing sound effect that emphasizes the connection between beauty and its propagation, making the phrase more memorable and impactful within Venus's persuasive speech.
Juxtaposition	Purposeful objects/nature vs. Adonis's perceived lack of purpose with his beauty.	Highlights the contrast between the natural order where everything serves a purpose (especially procreation) and Adonis's refusal to fulfill what Venus sees as his natural purpose. This underscores his unnaturalness in her eyes.

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

Stanza 28 is a cornerstone of Venus's central argument to Adonis: the imperative of procreation. She employs a compelling, seemingly logical appeal rooted in the natural world. Her core message is that everything in nature has an inherent purpose – to be used, to bear fruit, to reproduce, and thus perpetuate itself. She systematically lists examples, from torches giving light to plants bearing seeds, to establish a universal principle: function follows form, and for living things, that function is often reproduction.

Venus directly applies this principle to Adonis, arguing that his exceptional "fresh beauty" is not merely for show but "for the use" – specifically, to beget more beauty. His refusal to engage in sexual activity and produce offspring is framed as an "abuse" of nature's design, a violation of the very purpose of growth. By stating, "Seeds spring from seeds, and beauty breedeth beauty," she equates human reproduction with a fundamental natural law. The stanza culminates in a direct, almost accusatory statement: Adonis himself was born through procreation, and therefore, it is his "duty" to continue this cycle.

This stanza is incredibly significant because it encapsulates one of the poem's primary thematic conflicts: the clash between fertility and sterility. Venus embodies the passionate, life-affirming force of procreation, while Adonis represents a stubborn, almost ascetic resistance to it. The argument here elevates Venus's desire beyond mere lust; she presents it as a moral and natural obligation.

It also connects to the broader themes of mortality and legacy. Implicit in Venus's argument is the fear that Adonis's unparalleled beauty will die with him, an irreplaceable loss to the world, if it is not passed on. Procreation, therefore, becomes a means of achieving a form of immortality, ensuring that beauty does not perish. The stanza highlights Venus's manipulative yet reasoned rhetoric, her attempt to intellectually persuade Adonis by appealing to universal principles rather than just physical desire, setting the stage for the dramatic tension that unfolds throughout the rest of the poem.