“The-Nymph’s-Reply-to-the-Shepherd”and-Marlowe’s-“

thepassionateshepherdtohislove..ThePassionateShepherdToHisLoveAPoembyChristopherMarlowe(1564-1593)AStudyGuideCummingsGuidesHome..|..ContactThisSite.TypeofWorkSettingCharactersThemePublicationInformationMeterRhymeStructureMeterRhymeStructurePoemTextWithNotesFiguresofSpeechImagesPoem'sEnduringAppealBiographyofMarlowe.StudyGuidePreparedbyMichaelJ.Cummings...©2006Revisedin2010.©TypeofWork.......“ThePassionateShepherd”isapastoralpoem.Pastoralpoemsgenerallycenterontheloveofashepherdforamaiden(asinMarlowe’spoem),onthedeathofafriend,oronthequietsimplicityofrurallife.Thewriterofapastoralpoemmaybeaneducatedcitydweller,likeMarlowe,whoextollsthevirtuesofashepherdgirlorlongsforthepeaceandquietofthecountry.PastoralisderivedfromtheLatinwordpastor,meaningshepherd.Setting.......ChistopherMarlowesetsthepoeminearlyspringinarurallocale(presumablyinEngland)whereshepherdstendtheirflocks.Theuseofthewordmadrigals(line8)—referringtopoemssettomusicandsungbytwotosixvoiceswithasinglemelodyorinterweavingmelodies—suggeststhatthetimeisthesixteenthcentury,whenmadrigalswerehighlypopularinEnglandandelsewhereinEurope.However,thepoemcouldbeaboutanyshepherdofanyageinanycountry,forsuchistheuniversalityofitstheme.CharactersThePassionateShepherd:Heimportunesawoman—presumablyayoungandprettycountrygirl—tobecomehissweetheartandenjoywithhimallthepleasuresthatnaturehastooffer.TheShepherd’sLove:TheyoungwomanwhoreceivesthePassionateShepherd’smessage.Swains:YoungcountryfellowswhomthePassionateShepherdpromiseswilldanceforhisbeloved.Theme.......Thethemeof“ThePassionateShepherd”istheraptureofspringtimeloveinasimple,ruralsetting.Implicitinthisthemeisthemotifofcarpediem—Latinfor“seizetheday.”Carpediemurgespeopletoenjoythemomentwithoutworryingaboutthefuture.WritingandPublicationInformation.......Marlowewrotethepoemin1588or1589whileattendingCambridgeUniversityatitsCorpusChristiCollege.Itfirstappearedinprintinpoetrycollectionspublishedin1599and1600.Meter.......Themeterisiambictetrameter,witheightsyllables(fouriambicfeet)perline.(Aniambicfootconsistsofanunstressedsyllablefollowedbyastressedsyllable.)Thefollowinggraphicpresentationillustratesthemeterofthefirststanza.........1................2...............3...............4ComeLIVE..|..withME..|..andBE..|..myLOVE,......1...............2...............3..................4AndWE..|..willALL..|..thePLEA..|..suresPROVE........1.................2..................3...................4ThatHILLS..|..andVALL..|..eys,DALE..|..andFIELD,......1..................2.................3.................4AndALL..|..theCRAG..|..gyMOUNT..|..ainsYIELD.Rhyme.......Ineachstanza,thefirstlinerhymeswiththesecond,andthethirdrhymeswiththefourth.Structure.......Thepoemcontainssevenquatrains(four-linestanzas)foratotaloftwenty-eightlines.Marlowestructuresthepoemasfollows:Stanza1:......Theshepherdaskstheyoungladytolivewithmeandbemylove,notingthattheywillenjoyallthepleasuresofnature.Stanzas2-4:Theshepherdmakespromisesthathehopeswillpersuadetheyoungladytoaccepthisproposal.Stanzas5-7:Aftermakingadditionalpromises,theshepherdtwicemoreaskstheladytolivewithmeandbemylove..ThePassionateShepherdtoHisLoveByChristopherMarloweComelivewithmeandbemyLove,Andwewillallthepleasuresprove1Thathillsandvalleys,daleandfield,Andallthecraggymountainsyield.Therewillwesitupontherocks.......................5Andseetheshepherdsfeedtheirflocks,Byshallowrivers,towhosefallsMelodiousbirdssingmadrigals.2TherewillImaketheebedsofrosesAndathousandfragrantposies,.......................10Acapofflowers,andakirtle3Embroider'dallwithleavesofmyrtle.4AgownmadeofthefinestwoolWhichfromourprettylambswepull,Fairlinèdslippersforthecold,..........................15Withbucklesofthepurestgold.AbeltofstrawandivybudsWithcoral5claspsandamber6studs:Andifthesepleasuresmaytheemove,ComelivewithmeandbemyLove.....................20ThysilverdishesforthymeatAspreciousasthegodsdoeat,ShallonanivorytablebePreparedeachdayfortheeandme.Theshepherdswains7shalldanceandsing.........25ForthydelighteachMay-morning:Ifthesedelightsthymindmaymove,ThenlivewithmeandbemyLove.Notes1...prove:test,tryout2...madrigals:poemssettomusicandsungbytwotosixvoiceswith.....asinglemelodyorinterweavingmelodies3...kirtle:dressorskirt4...myrtle:shrubwithevergreenleaves,whiteorpinkflowers,anddark.....berries.InGreekmythology,asymboloflove.5...coral:yellowishred;6...amber:yelloworbrownishyellow7...swains:countryyouths....FiguresofSpeech.......Followingareexamplesoffiguresofspeechinthepoem.AlliterationLine2:AndwewillallthepleasuresproveLine5:TherewillwesitupontherocksLine6:AndseetheshepherdsfeedtheirflocksLine8:Melodiousbirdssingmadrigals.HyperboleLines9-10:TherewillImake.../athousandfragrantposiesMetaphorMelodiousbirdssingmadrigalsComparisonofbirdsongtopoemssettomusic(madrigals)Images.......Marlowemixesimagesofobjectsmadefromnature(bedsofroses,acapofflowers,abeltofstrawwithivybuds)withimagesofman-madeobjects(goldbuckles,silverdishes).Hisbelovedthuswillreceivethebestofbothworlds.ThePoem’sEnduringAppeal.......Overthecenturies,Marlowe’slittlepoemh