VEN US AN D A D O N IS WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE ED ITED , WITH NoTE s , I NTRODUCTI ON A Y D G LO S S R , LI ST O F VA RI O RUM REA A T T B Y ING S , ND S E L EC ED CRI I CI SM, CHARLOTT E PORTER NEW YORK W THO MAS Y. C RO ELL CO MPANY PUBLISHERS “ H L. 26 1 91 2 J/ Co pyright I 0 , 9 3 , by T O AS Y. H M CROWELL 8: CO . Co ri ht py g , m m , by THO AS M Y . CROW ELL CO PA M NY. CO N T EN T S INT RO DUCT IO N Ex PL ANAT ORY BIOG RAPHY VENUS AND ADO NIS NOT ES I A RG UMENT II SOU RCES III DU RATIO N O P T HE ACTIO N Iv DATE O P CO MPOSITIO N v EARLY EDITI ONS VI LIT ERA RY ILLUST RATIONS E! PLANATO RY : ABBREVIATIONS OP EDITIONS C O NSU LTED A G LOSSARY OP WORDS : G RAMM ATIC AL USAG E AND PRONUNCIAT ION A LIST OE V ARIORUM READINGS SELECT ED C RITICISM INTRODUCTION enus ids h er senses fear the fantasie no more V b , and with th at word sees th e hunted boar e wh ose red bepainted frothi e mouth is like mingled milke ’ and ood it is ess a dream come true th an a dreaded bl , l second dream such as ever one h as fe t s readin , y l , p g ’ r u h all th e sin n f th o g ews a seco d eare. ! Everywh ere th e sense of sigh t feeds a visioned h ap enin So unrea l rea is each one th at it enthra s th e p g . l y l , ll m ental eye with th e mere pleasure of exercising its th rilling faculty Of visualizingj Th e vivid seeing proffered so plentifii lly and with ’ so sensitive a transienc to th e eh o der s e e carri es y b l y , ith it to him a so an im ression Of de ach ment H w l p t . e is incite with artistic cunni n to oo on and note d g l k , , and mar ti th e seein itse f as a wh o e ecomes k , ll g l , l , b a centre Of aesth eti O se i n T he oo ness Of n c b rvat o . al f a actual th ird erson rivi e ed i e th e U iversa E e p p l g , l k n l y , to eer u on th e overs and th e s m ath coo ed b p p l , y p y, l y creativeness Of th e otentia th ird erson th e oet , p l p P hi m se f are shared in b th e on oo er l , y l k . Th e conception Of th e Poem in term s of sigh t h as thus purged th e th eme from arousing i n the reader th e ower ex citements Of imitative sensation . Th ese if l , it h ad used th e same m etho ds i t wou d h ave h ad in com , l mon with th e m an oth er o u ar oem s Of th e time y p p l p , derived from O vid and th e later Italian stories Of M rrh a Salm acis and erm a hroditus or enus and y , H p , V Adoni s owever Otherwise oetica su eri or it . H p lly p , would h ave fallen into th e same level of popularity as ’ ’ P e S Sa m acis Th rou h its wn ecu iar meth od e nd l . g o p l ’ of Stimu atin th e e e s c ear sense of eaut uite as l g y l b y, q much as b that oth er ecu iari t in su ect- matter y p l y bj , name creatin a dram atic c ash Of Wi s b ma in ly, g l ll y k g ix VENUS AND ADONI S his Adonis co d Sha es eare earned for his oem l , k p P n cendenc ov l i oro com etit rs its tra s y er a l ts am us p o . hi s trait came out rominent to o erid e and T p ly C l g ; , recent th e most ca a e editor Of th e oems Of ly, p bl P Sha es eare W ndham h as reénforced this O serva k p y , b n Th e facu f r i stic a reciation h as tio . lty o a t pp been ta ed sa s W ndh am ‘ to a oint at which it e ins x , y y , p b g ’ i in sceticism Of arti sti cr ti to partic pate the a c ea on. ’ AS itt e said o erid e can a mind thus roused l l , C l g , and awakened be brooded on by mean and indistinct emotion as th e low a mist can cree u on the sur , l zy p p face Of a lake whil e a strong gale is driving it Onward in waves and billo w health ess l , i e the oet one de i hts in all thi s reve r of th e e e l k P , l g l y y , un ess one oo s on at its activit as we as at the l l k y, ll who e a eant it commands with an over- conscious l p g , ness of exhilaration in the sheer sense of sight as th e su reme ministrant of eaut for its own sa e one p b y k , does not en o the oem to th e h ei h t O th erwise j y P g . , - moreover one is i e to mis see and mis ud e it. Per , l k ly j g ce tion of its visionar ua i t and the uminous atm os p y q l y, l h ere fiittin l encom assin it ifts it out of an wor d p g y p g , l y l ' but its own hrou h th ese ch aracteristics eculiar to . Q g p the arti stic use of th e sense Of si ht it is so distinctive g , ly non- human and non Through th ese e sth eti c results it rapts us so away into th e self- sufficient rea lm of myth new dressed in fantasy and transparent with mi i n cos c suggest o . The stri in ch an e in su ect- m atter alread m en k g g bj , y I INTRODUCTION ti oned the conce ti on of Adonis as co d and im , p l m ature — h as een traced to reene and Mar owe , b G l . Wh eth er the first hint of it came from Marlowe to Sh akes eare or th e converse which is ossi e it is a p , , p bl , mere rudim nt in n Sh a es ear In ll its e a y one but k p e. a ich es of su estion it is And it shou d be noted r gg hi s. l ' th at it is natural to a North ern fancy working on a myth yielding symbolism of th e recurring seasons of ' the ear Wh ere th S comes co d so Often y . e pring l ly , wh ere th e young vegetation yields SO tardi ly to loving warmth and fruitfu rowth and i s cut Off b th e sea l g , y ’ son s ear death so tra ica soon th ere an ori ina ly g ll , g l ’ y poet s own myth - m aking fancy would be quickly apt to conceive of a ashfu ni Unwi lin wou d h e b l Ado s. l g l be to woo h ard to be won as an i o tus. , y H pp ly Some critics l ove to deny to Sh akespeare any con Sciousness of th e cosmic applicati ons lying behind th e creation of the m th e u th e res onsi i i t y h used. B t p b l y f h eir den e ier th an o t ia l rests h eavy on th eir h ad . Heav th at of faith on th ose wh o do trace th e ancient mythic in uence owever free directed i t sure informs fl . H ly , ly and pervades a poem set so consistently out Of doors ’ ‘ th rough out a burning - eyed day and a black - fac d ni ht Th o s o o or h g . e l ve Of th e Greek godde s f L ve f t e ’ genius Of th e Year s beauty is h ere said to be for one ’ wh om Nature made and with wh ose ife ‘ th e , l ’ wor d hath endin 11 1 1 Her beaut too l g ( .