The Passionate Shepherd to His Love Christopher Marlowe

“The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” -Christopher Marlowe “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd” -Sir Walter Raleigh Maggie Green, Laura Landgraf, Nathan Schmid

“The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” Christopher Marlowe

Come live with me, and be my love, And we will all the pleasures prove That valleys, groves, hills, and fields, Woods, or steepy mountain yields.

And we will sit upon the rocks, Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks By shallow rivers, to whose falls Melodious birds sing madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of roses, And a thousand fragrant posies, A cap of flowers, and a kirtle, Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle.

A gown made of the finest wool Which from our pretty lambs we pull, Fair linèd slippers for the cold, With buckles of the purest gold.

A belt of straw and ivy buds, With coral clasps and amber studs, And if these pleasures may thee move, Come live with me, and be my love.

The shepherd swains shall dance and sing For thy delight each May morning. If these delights thy mind may move, Then live with me, and be my love.

“The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd” Sir Walter Raleigh

If all the world and love were young, And truth in every shepherd's tongue, These pretty pleasures might me move To live with thee and be thy love.

But Time drives flocks from field to fold, When rivers rage and rocks grow cold, And Philomel becometh dumb; The rest complains of cares to come.

The flowers do fade, and wanton fields To wayward winter reckoning yields; A honey tongue, a heart of gall Is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall.

Thy gowns, thy shoes, thy beds of roses, Thy cap, thy kirtle, and thy posies. Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten, In folly ripe, in reason rotten.

Thy belt of straw and ivy buds, Thy coral clasps and amber studs, All these in me no means can move To come to thee and be thy love.

But could youth last and love still breed, Had joys no date, nor age no need, Then these delights my mind might move To live with thee and be thy love.

Christopher Marlowe • 1564 -1593 • Scholarships to King’s School in Canterbury and Cambridge University • Translated erotic love poems – Books burned • 1587: government spy • Jailed and arrested • Murdered after fight over dinner bill • Conspiracy theories about his death – Shakespeare? Influence! Sir Walter Raleigh • c. 1552 -1618 • Arrogant man with enemies • Queen Elizabeth’s confidential secretary and captain of her guard • Pro-American colonization – First Englishmen to smoke tobacco and grow potatoes • 1603: convicted of treason • 1618: execution • 1617: voyage to Guiana – Found no treasures and son was killed.

Relationship Between Marlowe and Raleigh Christopher Marlowe • • Young Innovative Romantic Naïve Sir Walter Raleigh • Established poet • Old courtier • Jaded attitude

Summaries “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” This romantic poem is a summons from a shepherd to the nymph, his love. He describes all of the joys that the two could experience if they were together, and hopes that these joys will bring the nymph to him. All of the pleasures he alludes to are naturally occurring: watching shepherds feed flocks, melodious birds, and beds of roses. At the end of the poem, the shepherd again asks for the nymph to come live with him and be his love. “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd” This poem was written as a reply from the nymph to the shepherd, mirroring the poetic format, but taking on a more cynical tone. Because all of the pleasures described by the shepherd fade within time, the nymph explains that she does not want to live with the shepherd and be his love. She counters all of the points made by the shepherd: sheep are penned in the winter, nightingales stop their song, and roses will wither. The nymph also points out that what the shepherd feels now, may one day change, just like nature. At the end of the poem, the nymph again reiterates her refusal of the shepherds offer.

Themes “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” • Carpe diem – “Come live with me and be my love” (Line 1) • Uncomplicated love – “And we will all the pleasures prove” (Line 2) • Idyllic nature – “Melodious birds sing madrigals” (Line 8) “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd” • Carpe diem mixed with tempus fugit – “If all the world and love were young” (Line 1) • Lust and passion are not love – “The flowers do fade, and wanton fields/To wayward winter reckoning yields; ” (Lines 9 -10) • Realism (in nature) – “When rivers rage and rocks grow cold” (Line 6) • Realism (in human nature) – “A honey tongue, a heart of gall/Is fancy’s spring, but sorrow’s fall. ” (Lines 11 -12)

Poetic Devices • “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd” was written to mirror “The Passionate Shepherd to his Love” • Iambic tetrameter- 4 iambic feet (unstressed then stressed syllable) x / x / – “Come live with me and be my love, ” (Marlowe Line 1) x / x / – “If all the world and love were young, ” (Raleigh Line 1) • Pastoral poem- “idealized countryside, inhibited by handsome shepherds and beautiful nymphs all living in harmony with nature” (Elements of Literature 257). • The rhyme schemes are almost identical – Marlowe: aabb ccdd eeff gghh iiaa jjaa – Raleigh: aabb ccdd eeff gghh iibb jjbb

Poetic Devices Continued • Symbolism in seasons – Marlowe: spring and summer – Raleigh: fall and winter • Metaphorical language (Raleigh) – “A honey tongue, a heart of gall/Is fancy’s spring, but sorrow’s fall” (Lines 11 -12) – “Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten, /In folly ripe, in reason rotten. ” (Lines 15 -16) • Repetition – – “live with me, and be my love” (Marlowe Lines 1, 20, 24) “To live with thee and be thy love” (Raleigh Lines 4, 20, 24) “Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten” (Raleigh Line 15) The 23 rd line of each poem is extremely similar: “these delights…”

Poetic Devices Continued • Alliteration – Marlowe: “pleasures prove” (Line 2), “feed their flocks” (Line 6), “coral clasps” (Line 18), “shepherd swains shall” (Line 21), “May morning” (Line 22) – Raleigh: “pretty pleasures” (Line 3), “might me move” (Line 3) “flocks from field to fold” (Line 5), “flowers do fade” (Line 6), “wayward winter” (Line 10), “reason rotten” (Line 16), “ coral clasps” (Line 18), “my mind might move” (Line 23) • Personification – “Melodious birds sing madrigals” (Marlowe Line 8) – “But Time drives flocks from field to fold” (Raleigh Line 5)

Application • Applicable to real life and love situations • Elizabeth Harris Sagaser- associate professor of English at Colby College. – Read the “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” and “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd” as bedtime stories to her daughter

“The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” • Keith Urban: Making Memories of Us – http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=DPRx 0 yfpi 5 g – In a cabin by a meadow where the wild bees swarm – And I'm gonna love you Like nobody loves you And I'll earn your trust Making memories of us – We'll follow the rainbow Wherever the four winds blow And there'll be a new day Coming your way

“The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd” • Faith Hill: Take Me As I Am – http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=HK 3 FXWz. N 9 j 0 – Whisper only truth tonight Not just promises and empty fantasies – I don't need a bed of roses 'Cause roses wither away All I really need is honesty From someone with a strong heart A gentle hand Who'll take me as I am – Fiery passions come and go

Bibliography Holt, "Elements of Literature: Sixth Course. " Austin: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2005. Print. "Notes for "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love". " LA TECH, n. d. Web. 14 May 2011. <http: //www 2. latech. edu/~bmagee/201/marlowe/shepherd_ &_notes. htm>. Sagaser, Elizabeth Harris. "Poetry, the First Milk. " Chronicle of Higher Education, 57. 2 (2011): Web.