Question

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
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 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 poises,
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 lined 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 shepherds's 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.

Christopher Marlowe


1. In "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love," the shepherd conveys the message that pastoral life is:
A. a prosperous one
B. a life filled with hardships
C. idealistic and romantic
D. not the life for him

I'm stuck between A and C. Help? Thanks!

Answer 1

Prosperous?? What lines tell you "prosperous"?

Answer 2

Well I thought it was prosperous because he mentions all of these materialistic items.

Answer 3

OK, then make two lists.

One list for all the "prosperous" items, and one list for all the "idealistic and romantic" items.

Let me know.

Answer 4

prosperous: kirtle, gown, slippers, belt.

idealistic/romantic: sit upon the rocks, beds of roses, fragrant posies, (the last stanza is romantic)

it seems pretty even.

Answer 5

4 lines for "prosperous" (although you'll note that the gown is not bought, but made from their own lambs' wool)

20 lines of pastoral, romantic, idealistic.

Even?

http://www.gradesaver.com/christopher-marlowes-poems/study-guide/section4/
This is one of the best analyses I've read of this particular poem.

Answer 6

Okay that helped! It makes sense that is idealistic and romantic because most poems during that time had to deal with romance/love.

Answer 7

Exactly. =)

Answer 8

thanks, very helpful !