Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis
'But O! what banquet wert thou to the taste,
Being nurse and feeder of the other four;
Would they not wish the feast might ever last,
And bid Suspicion double-lock the door,
Lest Jealousy, that sour unwelcome guest,
Should, by his stealing in, disturb the feast?'
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Extended Metaphor | Love as banquet/feast throughout the stanza | Transforms sensual experience into a luxurious meal, emphasizing pleasure and abundance |
| Personification | "Suspicion," "Jealousy" as characters | Makes abstract emotions into active agents that can affect the lovers |
| Apostrophe | Addressing the sense of taste directly | Makes the argument intimate and immediate |
| Rhetorical Question | "Would they not wish..." "Should...disturb the feast?" | Assumes agreement, making Venus's logic seem inevitable |
| Sensory Imagery | "banquet," "taste," "nurse and feeder," "sour" | Appeals to physical senses to make abstract love concrete |
| Hierarchical Metaphor | Taste as "nurse and feeder" of other senses | Elevates taste above other senses, suggesting kissing is supreme pleasure |
| Security Imagery | "double-lock the door" | Suggests the precious, protected nature of intimate experience |
| Guest Metaphor | Jealousy as "unwelcome guest" | Makes negative emotions external intrusions rather than natural responses |
This stanza represents Venus's sophisticated argument about the supremacy of taste (kissing) among the five senses, while also addressing the psychological threats to love. She presents kissing as the ultimate sensual experience that would satisfy all the senses and create a desire for permanence.
The Hierarchy of Senses: Venus positions taste as the "nurse and feeder" of the other four senses, suggesting that kissing would be the most fulfilling sensual experience—one that would enhance and nourish all other forms of pleasure.
Feast as Metaphor for Love: The banquet imagery transforms physical love into something luxurious, abundant, and celebratory rather than merely carnal. This elevates her proposal from base desire to refined pleasure.
The Psychology of Possessiveness: Venus addresses the natural human tendency toward jealousy and suspicion in love relationships, showing sophisticated understanding of love's psychological complexities.
Permanence vs. Transience: The desire for the feast to "ever last" reflects Venus's wish for eternal rather than temporary pleasure—she's not offering a brief encounter but lasting satisfaction.
External vs. Internal Threats: By personifying Jealousy as an external "guest" who might "steal in," Venus suggests that the real threats to love come from outside rather than from the lovers themselves.
Security and Privacy: The image of double-locking doors emphasizes the intimate, private nature of love that must be protected from intrusion.
Preemptive Argument: Venus anticipates and addresses potential objections about the complications of physical love by acknowledging jealousy while positioning it as an external threat rather than an inevitable consequence.
Rhetorical Sophistication: The use of rhetorical questions makes her audience (Adonis and the reader) complicit in her logic—she assumes they will agree that the feast should last forever and be protected from jealousy.
Irony of Control: While Venus argues for protecting the feast from jealousy, her own aggressive pursuit of Adonis could be seen as a form of possessiveness that might generate the very jealousy she warns against.
This stanza shows Venus at her most psychologically sophisticated, demonstrating understanding of both the pleasures and perils of love while maintaining her seductive agenda through the appealing metaphor of an eternal, protected feast.