Venus and Adonis (Modern)

Author: William Shakespeare

Editor: Hardy M. Cook

Peer Reviewed

Help

Venus and Adonis (Modern)
- Work
- Stanza
  1. Dedication
  2. 1 — 5
  3. 6 — 10
  4. 11 — 15
  5. 16 — 20
  6. 21 — 25
  7. 26 — 30
  8. 31 — 35
  9. 36 — 40
  10. 41 — 45
  11. 46 — 50
  12. 51 — 55
  13. 56 — 60
  14. 61 — 65
  15. 66 — 70
  16. 71 — 75
  17. 76 — 80
  18. 81 — 85
  19. 86 — 90
  20. 91 — 95
  21. 96 — 100
  22. 101 — 105
  23. 106 — 110
  24. 111 — 115
  25. 116 — 120
  26. 121 — 125
  27. 126 — 130
  28. 131 — 135
  29. 136 — 140
  30. 141 — 145
  31. 146 — 150
  32. 151 — 155
  33. 156 — 160
  34. 161 — 165
  35. 166 — 170
  36. 171 — 175
  37. 176 — 180
  38. 181 — 185
  39. 186 — 190
  40. 191 — 195
  41. 196 — 199
Venus and Adonis (Quarto 1, 1592-3)
- Work
- Stanza
  1. Title Page
  2. Dedication
  3. 2 — 6
  4. 7 — 11
  5. 12 — 16
  6. 17 — 21
  7. 22 — 26
  8. 27 — 31
  9. 32 — 36
  10. 37 — 41
  11. 42 — 46
  12. 47 — 51
  13. 52 — 56
  14. 57 — 61
  15. 62 — 66
  16. 67 — 71
  17. 72 — 76
  18. 77 — 81
  19. 82 — 86
  20. 87 — 91
  21. 92 — 96
  22. 97 — 101
  23. 102 — 106
  24. 107 — 111
  25. 112 — 116
  26. 117 — 121
  27. 122 — 126
  28. 127 — 131
  29. 132 — 136
  30. 137 — 141
  31. 142 — 146
  32. 147 — 151
  33. 152 — 156
  34. 157 — 161
  35. 162 — 166
  36. 167 — 171
  37. 172 — 176
  38. 177 — 181
  39. 182 — 186
  40. 187 — 191
  41. 192 — 196
  42. 197 — 199
- Page
  1. 2
  2. 4
  3. 5
  4. 6
  5. 7
  6. 8
  7. 9
  8. 10
  9. 11
  10. 12
  11. 13
  12. 14
  13. 15
  14. 16
  15. 17
  16. 18
  17. 19
  18. 20
  19. 21
  20. 22
  21. 23
  22. 24
  23. 25
  24. 26
  25. 27
  26. 28
  27. 29
  28. 30
  29. 31
  30. 32
  31. 33
  32. 34
  33. 35
  34. 36
  35. 37
  36. 38
  37. 39
  38. 40
  39. 41
  40. 42
  41. 43
  42. 44
  43. 45
  44. 46
  45. 47
  46. 48
  47. 49
  48. 50
  49. 51
  50. 52
  51. 53
  52. 54
  53. 55

¶"How like a jade he stood tied to the tree,
¶Servilely mastered with a leathern rein;
¶But when he saw his love, his youth's fair fee,
¶He held such petty bondage in disdain,
395_Throwing the base thong from his bending crest,
¶_Enfranchising his mouth, his back, his breast.

¶"Who sees his true-love in her naked bed,
¶Teaching the sheets a whiter hue than white;
¶But when his glutton eye so full hath fed,
400His other agents aim at like delight?
¶_Who is so faint that dares not be so bold
¶_To touch the fire, the weather being cold?

¶"Let me excuse thy courser, gentle boy;
¶And learn of him, I heartily beseech thee,
405To take advantage on presented joy.
¶Though I were dumb, yet his proceedings teach thee.
¶_O, learn to love; the lesson is but plain,
¶_And once made perfect, never lost again."

¶"I know not love," quoth he, "nor will not know it,
410Unless it be a boar, and then I chase it.
¶'Tis much to borrow, and I will not owe it.
¶My love to love is love but to disgrace it;
¶_For I have heard it is a life in death,
¶_That laughs and weeps, and all but with a breath.

415"Who wears a garment shapeless and unfinished?
¶Who plucks the bud before one leaf put forth?
¶If springing things be any jot diminished,
¶They wither in their prime, prove nothing worth.
¶_The colt that's backed and burdened being young
420_Loseth his pride and never waxeth strong.

Toolbox

Textual Analysis

Venus and Adonis (Modern)

Toolbox

Search This Text

Textual Analysis

Venus and Adonis (Modern)