Summary

Note that the poem is not divided into sections. These divisions were created for the purpose of this study guide.

The beautiful young Adonis is hunting, and the goddess Venus has fallen madly in love with him. She woos him with praise for his beauty. When he does not respond, she pulls him from his horse and pins him to the ground.

She begins to kiss his face. He does not respond, and she pleads for a single kiss. Adonis seems to give in, but turns his face away. Venus is distressed, describing how desirable she is to other men, like Mars, the god of war. She promises to keep this secret, and not to even look at Adonis if he is ashamed.

Because Venus is so beautiful, she cannot understand why she is being rejected. She asks if he is in love with...