The Text
ROMEO (Act I, Scene V)
O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night As a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear - Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear. So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows. The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand. Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight, For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.
JULIET (Act II, Scene II)
Come night, come Romeo; come, thou day in night, For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night Whiter than new snow on a raven's back. Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-browed night, Give me my Romeo, and when I shall die Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night And pay no worship to the garish sun.
Glossary
| Word / Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| doth (archaic) | does |
| torches | flaming lights used to light the hall |
| cheek of night | the face of the night; the dark sky |
| Ethiope | an Ethiopian; a person with dark skin (the word Shakespeare uses) |
| too rich for use | too precious to be used in ordinary life |
| for earth too dear | too precious (heavenly) for this world |
| trooping with | moving in a group with |
| yonder | over there |
| her fellows | the other ladies around her |
| the measure done | when the dance has ended |
| place of stand | the place where she stands |
| rude | roughly formed, coarse |
| forswear | deny, take back on oath |
| ne'er | never |
| thou (archaic) | you |
| wilt | will |
| raven | a large black bird |
| black-browed | dark-faced |
| garish | lurid, too bright, glaring |
Line-by-Line Explanation: Romeo's Speech
"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!" Juliet is so radiant that the torches in the hall seem to learn from her how to shine. Her beauty outshines every light. This is a hyperbole (deliberate exaggeration).
"It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night / As a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear" Against the darkness of night she looks like a shining jewel worn in the ear of a dark-skinned person. The dark background makes the jewel look even brighter. This is a simile built on contrast.
"Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear." Her beauty is too precious to be used in everyday life, and too valuable for this earth - it seems to belong to heaven. The line also hints, sadly, that such beauty may not last long on earth.
"So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows / As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows." Among the other ladies, Juliet stands out like a white dove in a flock of black crows. The others are not ugly; Juliet is simply far more beautiful.
"The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, / And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand." When the dance is over, Romeo will note where she stands and go to touch her hand. His own rough hand will become blessed by that touch.
"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight, / For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night." Romeo asks whether he has ever truly loved before. He tells his eyes to deny it, because until tonight he had never seen true beauty. His earlier feeling for Rosaline now seems false.
Line-by-Line Explanation: Juliet's Speech
"Come night, come Romeo; come, thou day in night" Juliet calls on the night and on Romeo together, because night will bring him. She calls Romeo "day in night" - he brings light and happiness into the dark. This is a paradox (a statement that seems contradictory).
"For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night / Whiter than new snow on a raven's back." Romeo will rest on the wings of night and shine brighter than fresh snow on the back of a black raven. Like Romeo's own images, this is light against darkness.
"Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-browed night, / Give me my Romeo" Juliet speaks to night as if it were a kind, loving person (personification and apostrophe). She begs it to give her Romeo.
"and when I shall die / Take him and cut him out in little stars" She imagines that after her death Romeo should be cut into little stars and set in the sky, so that he lives forever.
"And he will make the face of heaven so fine / That all the world will be in love with night / And pay no worship to the garish sun." The stars made from Romeo will make the sky so beautiful that people will love the night and stop worshipping the harsh, glaring sun. Romeo becomes immortal through Juliet's love.
Figures of Speech and Poetic Features
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Hyperbole | she doth teach the torches to burn bright | Her beauty is exaggerated beyond real light |
| Simile | As a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear | Brightness against a dark background |
| Simile | So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows | Juliet stands out among the other ladies |
| Metaphor | the cheek of night; the wings of night | Night is given a face and wings |
| Paradox | thou day in night | Romeo is light within darkness |
| Simile | Whiter than new snow on a raven's back | Romeo shines against the black night |
| Personification / Apostrophe | Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-browed night | Night is addressed as a loving person |
| Imagery | cut him out in little stars | Romeo becomes part of the heavens |
Contrasting imagery. The whole extract is built on light against dark: torches, a jewel, a dove, snow and stars are set against night, an Ethiope's ear, crows, a raven and the dark sky. The contrast shows that each lover is the one bright thing in the other's world.
Form. Romeo's speech is written in rhyming couplets (bright/night, ear/dear, crows/shows, stand/hand, sight/night), which suits its graceful admiration. Juliet's speech is in blank verse (unrhymed lines), which suits her rush of feeling.
Tone. Romeo - wonder and admiration. Juliet - longing, impatience and passion.