🌹 Stanza 96 - Literary Analysis

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

📖 Original Stanza

When he did frown, O! had she then gave over,
Such nectar from his lips she had not suck’d.       
Foul words and frowns must not repel a lover;
What though the rose have prickles, yet ‘tis pluck’d:
Were beauty under twenty locks kept fast,
Yet love breaks through and picks them all at last.

🔍 Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: "When he did frown, O! had she then gave over,"

• "When he did frown": Refers to Adonis's initial, clear expressions of displeasure and rejection towards Venus's advances. This indicates his non-verbal communication of disinterest.
• "O! had she then gave over": This is an exclamatory phrase expressing regret or a hypothetical alternative. "Had she then gave over" means "if only she had given up at that point." The implication is that if Venus had ceased her pursuit when Adonis first showed disapproval, subsequent events (like the forced kisses) might not have occurred. "Gave over" means to desist or stop.
• Meaning: If only she had stopped when he first showed his displeasure,

Line 2: "Such nectar from his lips she had not suck’d."

• "Such nectar from his lips": "Nectar" is a metaphorical term for kisses, implying they are sweet, delightful, and divine. The use of "nectar" is ironic because for Adonis, these kisses were clearly unwanted and unpleasant, highlighting Venus's self-deception or skewed perception of the interaction. It represents the object of her intense desire.
• "she had not suck’d": The verb "suck'd" is strong and somewhat aggressive, suggesting a forceful, almost vampiric or consuming action rather than a gentle, reciprocal kiss. It emphasizes the one-sided and imposed nature of Venus's affection, reinforcing the lack of consent from Adonis.
• Meaning: She would not have forcibly taken unwanted kisses ("nectar") from his mouth.

Line 3: "Foul words and frowns must not repel a lover;"

• "Foul words and frowns": This refers to Adonis's verbal rebukes and his visible expressions of anger or disgust. "Foul words" implies harsh or unpleasant language.
• "must not repel a lover": This line acts as a general maxim or observation about the nature of obsessive or determined love (or lust). It suggests that a truly passionate or relentless lover will not be deterred by initial resistance, rudeness, or disapproval from the beloved. It justifies Venus's persistence.
• Meaning: A determined lover should not be turned away by harsh words or angry expressions; they are not enough to deter true desire.

Line 4: "What though the rose have prickles, yet ‘tis pluck’d:"

• "What though": An archaic phrase meaning "What if" or "Even if."
• "the rose have prickles": The rose here symbolizes beauty and desirability, often specifically Adonis's youthful beauty. The "prickles" represent the challenges, difficulties, or painful resistance (like Adonis's frowns and foul words) associated with pursuing that beauty. Shakespeare frequently uses the rose to symbolize beauty.
• "yet ‘tis pluck’d": Despite the difficulties and pain, the beautiful rose is still picked or seized. This is a proverbial statement that reinforces the idea that desirable things are pursued and obtained regardless of the obstacles. It directly applies to Venus's pursuit of Adonis despite his resistance.
• Meaning: Even though a beautiful rose has thorns, it is still picked and taken.

Line 5: "Were beauty under twenty locks kept fast,"

• "Were beauty": Refers to any highly desirable object or person, with a direct implication for Adonis and his youthful appeal.
• "under twenty locks kept fast": This is a hyperbole, an exaggerated statement emphasizing extreme security or inaccessibility. "Twenty locks" implies an insurmountable number of barriers, and "kept fast" means firmly secured or locked away. Shakespeare uses this to stress the intensity of the resistance or protection.
• Meaning: Even if beauty were held securely behind twenty impenetrable locks,

Line 6: "Yet love breaks through and picks them all at last."

• "Yet love breaks through": "Love" here is personified as an unstoppable, forceful entity. It signifies an overwhelming, relentless desire (more accurately, lust in Venus's case) that overcomes all obstacles. The verb "breaks" suggests a forceful, even violent, overcoming of barriers.
• "and picks them all at last": "Picks" here has a double meaning: firstly, to open locks (like a lock-picker), directly referencing the "locks" from the previous line; and secondly, it echoes "pluck'd" from line 4, reinforcing the idea of seizing or possessing the desired object. "At last" emphasizes the ultimate and inevitable triumph of this persistent desire.
• Meaning: Yet love will ultimately shatter all those barriers and unlock them to achieve its desire.

🎭 Literary Devices

🎯 Overall Meaning & Significance in the Context of the Poem

This stanza is pivotal in understanding the nature of Venus's desire and her relentless pursuit of Adonis. It initially presents a moment of potential regret or a hypothetical alternative – if Venus had respected Adonis's initial "frown," the more aggressive interactions (like the forced kisses, described ironically as "nectar") would not have occurred. However, the subsequent lines quickly pivot to justify Venus's unwavering determination.

The stanza essentially argues that true, powerful desire (or lust, in Venus's case) is an unstoppable force. It transforms Adonis's resistance ("foul words and frowns," "prickles") from deterrents into mere obstacles that must inevitably be overcome. The analogy of the rose with thorns that is still "pluck'd," and the hyperbole of "beauty under twenty locks" that "love breaks through and picks," underscores this idea of inevitable possession. This portrays "love" not as a gentle, consensual emotion, but as an aggressive, almost predatory drive that disregards boundaries and personal autonomy.

In the broader context of Venus and Adonis, this stanza reinforces the poem's central themes of unrequited love, the destructive power of lust, and the conflict between desire and innocence/resistance. It highlights Venus's obsessive and self-serving interpretation of love, where her passion overrides Adonis's clear disinterest. This justification for aggressive pursuit foreshadows the poem's tragic conclusion, where Venus's relentless desire indirectly contributes to Adonis's death. It presents a world where beauty, once desired, is destined to be "pluck'd" or "picked" by the powerful, often violent, force of love/lust, regardless of consent or consequence.