🌹 Stanza 29 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

‘Upon the earth’s increase why shouldst thou feed,
Unless the earth with thy increase be fed?
By law of nature thou art bound to breed,
That thine may live when thou thyself art dead;     
And so in spite of death thou dost survive,
In that thy likeness still is left alive.’

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: "Upon the earth’s increase why shouldst thou feed,"

"Upon the earth’s increase": This refers to the bounty, produce, or fruits of the earth, all that grows naturally. It implies sustenance and enjoyment derived from nature.
"why shouldst thou feed": This is a rhetorical question, asking why Adonis should consume or benefit from the earth's plentiful offerings. It implies a moral or natural obligation that comes with consumption.
Meaning: "Why should you consume or benefit from all that the earth produces,"

Line 2: "Unless the earth with thy increase be fed?"

"Unless the earth with thy increase be fed": "Thy increase" here is a direct contrast to the "earth's increase." It refers to Adonis's own offspring, his progeny. "Be fed" implies replenishment, populating, or giving back to the natural cycle. The line sets up a reciprocal relationship.
Meaning: "Unless you, in turn, replenish the earth with your own offspring?"

Line 3: "By law of nature thou art bound to breed,"

"By law of nature": This refers to an inherent, fundamental, and universal principle governing the natural world and all living things. It suggests an inescapable biological imperative.
"thou art bound to breed": "Bound" means obligated, compelled, or destined. "Breed" is a direct, biological term for procreate or reproduce. Venus argues that it's not a choice but a duty.
Meaning: "According to the fundamental laws of nature, you are obligated to reproduce,"

Line 4: "That thine may live when thou thyself art dead;"

"That thine may live": "Thine" refers to your descendants, your children. The purpose of breeding is to ensure the continuation of one's lineage.
"when thou thyself art dead": This highlights the inevitability of individual mortality. The line posits procreation as a means to transcend this mortality.
Meaning: "So that your descendants may continue to live after you yourself have died;"

Line 5: "And so in spite of death thou dost survive,"

"in spite of death": Despite the fact that death is unavoidable and will claim you personally.
"thou dost survive": This is a paradox; though the individual dies, a form of their existence continues. It refers to a metaphorical or biological survival, not personal immortality.
Meaning: "And in this way, despite your inevitable death, a part of you continues to exist,"

Line 6: "In that thy likeness still is left alive.’"

"In that": Meaning "because," or "in so far as." It clarifies the reason for the survival mentioned in the previous line.
"thy likeness": This refers to your image, your physical form, your beauty, your characteristics, and your essence. It's about leaving a biological imprint.
"still is left alive": Emphasizes the continuous, living legacy through progeny.
Meaning: "Because your physical and essential likeness continues to live on in your children."

🎭 Literary Devices

Device	Example	Effect
Rhetorical Question	"Upon the earth’s increase why shouldst thou feed, / Unless the earth with thy increase be fed?" (Lines 1-2)	Venus uses these questions not to elicit an answer, but to make Adonis consider the implicit obligation of reciprocity with nature, framing his refusal to breed as selfish or unnatural.
Antithesis/Paradox	"in spite of death thou dost survive" (Line 5)	Creates a powerful statement about overcoming the finality of death through procreation. It highlights the central argument that one's lineage grants a form of immortality.
Metaphor/Analogy	"feed" and "fed" in relation to the earth and offspring (Lines 1-2)	Extends the idea of nourishment and sustenance. Just as humans are sustained by the earth's produce, the earth (and humanity's continuation) is "fed" by human reproduction, creating a cycle of life and giving.
Personification	"the earth with thy increase be fed" (Line 2)	By portraying the earth as something that needs to be "fed" by human offspring, it emphasizes a deeper, symbiotic relationship between humanity and nature, making procreation seem like a contribution to the earth's vitality.
Repetition (of "increase")	"earth’s increase" (Line 1), "thy increase" (Line 2)	This highlights the contrast between what the earth provides (bounty) and what Adonis is expected to provide (offspring), emphasizing the concept of natural reciprocity.
Alliteration	"bound to breed" (Line 3), "thou thyself" (Line 4)	Adds a subtle poetic rhythm and emphasis to the phrases, making them more memorable and impactful within Venus's persuasive speech.
Theme (Immortality through Procreation)	"That thine may live when thou thyself art dead; / And so in spite of death thou dost survive, / In that thy likeness still is left alive." (Lines 4-6)	This is the core persuasive argument of the stanza. Venus presents procreation as the only way for Adonis to achieve a form of immortality and ensure his beauty and essence are not lost to oblivion.

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

This stanza is a crucial part of Venus's fervent argument to Adonis, attempting to persuade him to yield to her desires and, more broadly, to embrace the natural cycle of love and procreation. It encapsulates a central theme found not only in Venus and Adonis but also in Shakespeare's "procreation sonnets" (Sonnet 1-17), which similarly urge a young man to marry and have children to ensure his beauty's perpetuation.

Here, Venus articulates the idea that human existence is not merely about consuming the earth's bounty but also about contributing to its continuation through reproduction. She frames procreation as a fundamental "law of nature," a duty and an obligation rather than an option. The most significant point Venus makes is that having children is the only way for Adonis to achieve a form of immortality. While he will inevitably die, his "likeness"—his beauty, his essence, his physical traits—will live on in his offspring. This argument appeals to the human desire to defy death and leave a lasting legacy.

In the context of the poem, this stanza highlights Adonis's unnatural aversion to love and procreation. Venus presents his stance as a defiance of nature's most basic law, a refusal to fulfill his biological destiny and ensure the survival of his beautiful form. Her passionate plea underscores the urgency and natural imperative of her suit, setting up a sharp contrast with Adonis's youthful, cold, and seemingly barren resistance to the very force of life that Venus embodies. The stanza underscores the poem's broader themes of the conflict between natural desire and youthful resistance, the transience of beauty, and the ultimate victory of nature's forces (though not necessarily in the way Venus initially intends).