The Passionate Shepherd to His Love by Christopher Marlowe, much like the title suggests, is a poem dedicated by a young shepherd to someone he calls his “love.” A poem from the 1950s collected immense praise and appreciation from other English poets and poetry enthusiasts. Even though simplistic, the speaker says a lot about enjoying life in love than focusing on their responsibilities. Even though the speaker in The Passionate Shepherd to His Love uses a seductive tone, it still gained public attention and fame.
Drown in the seductive love of this love poem and find yourself in another world.
In the first few lines of The Passionate Shepherd to His Love by Christopher Marlowe, the shepherd invites his love to live with him. He woos her by promising to live amid nature and find joy in the simple things in life. According to the shepherd, the countryside’s luxury is a romantic scene, where they can spend their time in love.
As the poem progresses, the shepherd suggests they settle on the rocks to delve into the surrounding beauty’s profanity. In the second stanza of The Passionate Shepherd to His Love, the speaker talks about the surreal beauty of seeing other shepherds feed their flocks near the shallow stream. The sweet-singing birds singing to the waterfall will only augment their experience.
In the third stanza of The Passionate Shepherd to His Love by Christopher Marlowe, the shepherd speaks of everything he will give his love. He promises to make her a bed of thousands of sweet roses. Further, he wants to give her a cap also made up of flowers to feel good about the smell on her at all times. The shepherd also promises to make her a dress that he will himself sew using myrtle leaves.
Even in the fourth stanza of this love poem by Christopher Marlowe, the shepherd tries to seduce his love by promising her a gown made of wool, which he will shear from the beautiful lambs they will own in the future. To complete his lady love’s look, the shepherd will also make her a pair of shoes with a lining to make the material thick enough to protect her from the cold weather. Additionally, he will complete the look by giving her slippers buckles made of gold.
The Shepherd in the love poem, The Passionate Shepherd to His Love, also wants to make the woman a belt made of straws and ivy buds with clasps made of coral and studs with amber. In the last two lines of this stanza, the speaker respectfully asks the woman he loves if all this would be enough for her to realize how much he loves her. He asks her to live with him for the rest of their lives if everything he said convinced her of his feelings.
In the final lines of this love poem by Christopher Marlowe, the shepherd also promises that the shepherd boys will dance for her entertainment when May comes. Yet again he urges, that if all of this makes her happy, she should live with him as a couple and become his lover.
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love may not be acceptable to many since these are just the things people say to one another to convince their lover. But none of this is realistic and is mostly idealistic. But poet Sir Walter Ralegh from the same age responded to this poem with another poem called The Nymphs Reply. All said and done, in the end, every romantic lover will smile ear to ear when they hear the arguments presented by the shepherd to seduce the woman he loves. And until you don’t make the move, nothing will change!
What do you think about this poem? Shouldn’t we also cover The Nymphs Reply to make this poem’s sentiment complete? If you liked this post, will you leave us a like or rate it below? Also, subscribe to us for more such interesting reads.
Hemali Adhiya is the co-founder and author of the e-magazine Love Smitten. Alongside writing and editing for several other websites, she hosts a YouTube Channel- Total Angrezi. Traveling is her way to unwind, and she loves recording these experiences!