INSTITUTE OF OPEN EDUCATION AND INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY - HUE UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

BRITISH LITERATURE

COMPARE THE POEMS “THE PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO HIS

LOVE” AND “THE NYMPH’S REPLY TO THE SHEPHERD”

Instructor : CAM LIEN, MA.

Student : LÊ GIA THIÊN AN
Class : KHÁNH HÒA 9
Student’s ID : 7054100863

Khanh Hoa, September 2024

 TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION................................................................................1

1.1. General overview of the two poems.........................................................................1

1.2. The importance of the topic......................................................................................2

1.3. Outline of the paper..................................................................................................2

CHAPTER 2: COMPARE TWO POEMS “THE PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO

HIS LOVE AND “THE NYMPH’S REPLY TO THE SHEPHERD”.....................3

2.1. The similarities.........................................................................................................3

2.1.1. Structure.................................................................................................................3

2.1.2. Theme....................................................................................................................3

2.1.3. Imaginary...............................................................................................................3

2.2. The differences.........................................................................................................4

2.2.1. Topic in each poem................................................................................................4

2.2.2. Tone and mood......................................................................................................4

2.2.3. Style of the two poems..........................................................................................5

2.3. Preference between two poems “the Passionate Shepherd to His Love” and “the
Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”....................................................................................5

CHAPTER 3: CONCLUSION.....................................................................................6

REFERENCES..............................................................................................................7
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1. General overview of the two poems

Pastoral poetry is a genre of poetry that explores the lives of shepherds. The
naturalness or simplicity of rural life is contrasted with the artificiality of urban and
suburban life. These writings were first published in the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries. Examples of this poetry include Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate
Shepherd to His Love" and Sir Walter Raleigh's "The Nymph's Reply to the
Shepherd." There are several ways in which the two poems are alike and different.
Marlowe and Raleigh consistently employed the same literary styles to produce their
masterpieces. However, they did publish a variety of viewpoints on love. The format
of the two poems "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" and "The Nymph's Reply to
The Shepherd" is similar, although they aren't identical.

A hero in a poem by the poet Marlowe, who is regarded as the first English
dramatist before Shakespeare, shows his love with gentle words, carefully planned
actions, and dedication to the future. Raleigh responds to Marlowe's poetry as a close
friend by highlighting the nymph's lack of desire for the shepherd. The poem "The
Nymph's Reply to The Shepherd" actually casts doubt on the poetry's validity and
serves as a hilarious spoof of "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love." This alternation
serves as an example of what reality and the passage of time mean. There are a few
literary elements that Marlowe and Raleigh's works have in common. Because they
both use the same literary technique and depict the same event, they can be read
together as companion poems. The same subjects are discussed in both poems, which
were written one after the other. They are similar because the response reflects the
poem's suggestion. Second, "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" and "The Nymph's
Reply to The Shepherd" follow the same organizing ideas.

There are six four-line stanzas in each poem. Marlowe employs the method of
four- line stanzas to convey the shepherd's longing to continually reach out to his
lover. It should be noticed that both poems have four measures per line, each of which
has two syllables. They help the hero encourage his best friend to value nature. Each of
the poem's six stanzas highlights the persistent denial, according to Raleigh. Different
writing styles used in two poems produce images that reflect one another. The fact that

1
both works are examples of iambic tetrameter poetry, feature twenty-four lines, and
use assonance to accentuate the topics highlights these similarities. Third, the two
works are comparable because they are both pastoral dramas. But although if they
have a lot in common, they also differ greatly.

1.2. The importance of the topic

Comparing "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" and "The Nymph’s Reply to
the Shepherd" is crucial for understanding the literary dialogue between idealism and
realism. Marlowe’s poem presents an idealized, romantic vision of pastoral life and
love, while Raleigh’s reply offers a pragmatic, realistic counterpoint. This comparison
not only highlights contrasting views on love and nature but also illustrates how
literature can engage in self-reflection and critique. By examining these poems
together, we gain insights into the evolving attitudes of their time, the use of literary
techniques to convey different perspectives, and the broader cultural and thematic
implications.

1.3. Outline of the paper

This essay will firstly explore the similarities of the poems "The Passionate
Shepherd to His Love" and "The Nymph's Reply to The Shepherd". Next, the essay
will delve into the differences between the poems, especially the tone, theme, etc.
Finally, the essay will offer personal insights on what are contained in the poems and
summarize the main points discussed.

2
CHAPTER 2: COMPARE TWO POEMS “THE PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO
HIS LOVE AND “THE NYMPH’S REPLY TO THE SHEPHERD”

The poems "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" by Christopher Marlowe and
"The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" by Sir Walter Raleigh are two well-known pairs
that both demonstrate a paradoxical way of thinking and great stanza-to-word
alignment. The disparity between the author's concepts of love, however, doesn't seem
to be the only factor that brought the two works of art together side by side. On the
surface, the subjects of the poems actually seem to share a lot of structural similarities,
emphasizing a mocking tone and stressing the distinctions between the two distinct
styles.

2.1. The similarities

2.1.1. Structure

Each poem is broken down into six portions, each with four lines. The shepherd
repeatedly refers to her in these four-line stanzas to highlight his profound longing for
his love. The poem's six stanzas make use of the same shepherd imagery from
Marlowe's play to highlight the Nymph's continued rejection of the shepherd's
assurances. Alliteration, rhyme, and rhythm are further elements of the poem.

2.1.2. Theme

When compared to one another, the two poems are early critiques of the pastoral
and romantic vision of nature and love prevalent at the time. On the one hand,
Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" is classic pastoral
poetry that presents country life in an idealized and unrealistic manner. The Passionate
Shepherd's" seeming innocence and simplicity seem to wonderfully capture a romantic
Marlowe. The inversion of Marlowe's pictures, however, is used in "The Nymph's
reply to the Shepherd" to depict the world as it actually is. Through the Nymph's voice,
he had responded to Marlowe and had cleverly brought him back to earth using the
unquestionable laws of time, seasons, and nature.

2.1.3. Imaginary

Both Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" and Sir
Walter Raleigh's "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" benefit greatly from the
skillful use of allusion to natural imagery to heighten their passion and profundity. In
3
the captivating opening of The Passionate Shepherd to His Love, the shepherd seems
to be

4
trying to persuade his love to "come live with me and be my love" by promising him
all pleasures while describing a majestic landscape that looks out over hills and
valleys, dales and fields, woods or steep mountains. However, the first verse of the
Nymph's response implies that "if" love and youth were eternal as in "If all the world
and love were young," "if" the honesty of men was undeniable as in "And truth in
every Shepherd's tongue," and "if" the idealistic of Marlowe's scenery were true, then
the "Nymph" would go to the arms of the "Shepherd" and live with him. The promise
of everlasting youth appears to be rejected by the second conditional type, which
Raleigh used to emphasize the verses in the first stanza and call attention to the
impracticality of the Shepherd's iconic images.

2.2. The differences

2.2.1. Topic in each poem

The basic premise of Marlowe's poetry is that everyone can feel love and
overcome any challenge. The girl is the object of love for Christopher's hero. He
admits that he is attracted to her and wants her to move in with him and be his adored.
The shepherd promises her anything she possibly desire in exchange. One could notice
that the guy in "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" makes a vow to provide her the
things he is unable to. For instance, he promises to give her "a cap of flowers, and a
kirtle," as well as "a belt of straw and ivy buds." He clearly offers her things that he
will not be able to provide for her because of his intense love for her. It is also evident
that the shepherd's desire to win the favor of his nymph is so great that he seems to
believe that his vows will likely be followed. Marlowe's poem is therefore a play with
a passionate and materialistic understanding of the concept of love.

2.2.2. Tone and mood

The young shepherd who speaks in Christopher's story wishes to live with the
girl he loves. The passionate character's voice is delicate and romantic. One might be
struck by how upbeat the shepherd sounds as he lavishly showers his nymph with gifts
and assures her of a life of pastoral comfort. Instead of focusing on the hero or the
scene, Marlowe calls readers' attention to the assertions the shepherd makes in an
effort to win the girl over. But the tone of the reply is not as sentimental. Sadly, the
shepherd did not anticipate the reply. The qualities of joy and innocence are evident
in "The Passionate
5
Shepherd to His Love," whereas the components of skepticism and doubt are present
in "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd." Perhaps once the woman might have agreed
to wed a shepherd, but now that she has weathered several seasons, she is aware of
what the future may hold. She stresses that his offerings are excellent—until the
weather changes and alters how everything appears.

2.2.3. Style of the two poems

The poetry of Christopher Marlowe is pastoral and romantic. The piece

romanticizes and idealizes rural life as well as the natural world. Marlowe, for
instance, talks on the "pleasures" that might be found in "...valleys, forests, hills, and
fields." Such expressions demonstrate the romantic viewpoint the author has of the
world. Raleigh's writing, on the other hand, is realistic and pessimistic. The way that
two works display themselves also varies. While the structure of Raleigh's poem is
similar to Marlow's and it too includes rhyming couplets, the reader is encouraged to
make their own predictions about what the shepherd would say.

2.3. Preference between two poems “the Passionate Shepherd to His Love” and
“the Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”

Since they are both exquisite in their own way, I cannot decide which poetry is
better. Maybe it all comes down to your mood when you read each poem. While
neither poem is fully true or incorrect, they do complement one another and offer two
distinct viewpoints on the same subject. Both poems offer various perspectives on
love. Love is a complicated feeling. When you love and are loved, perhaps you will
feel positive energy; happy people also contribute to a pleasant environment.

However, love cannot stay forever or be "pink" due to social and natural laws as
well as outside forces like time, age, one's environment, and other factors. Other
tangible considerations will force people to adapt, which will cause the opposition to
see change. Both authors used the Shepherd and the Nymph's responses to talk about
love and people while also educating the reader about the lovely surroundings and
other facets of that time period's culture and society in England.

6
 CHAPTER 3: CONCLUSION

The two poems, "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" and "The Nymph's
Reply to The Shepherd," are similar in structure but differ in the writers' tones, the
central issue that is discussed by both speakers, and the nature of the works. Marlowe
and Raleigh serve as examples of opposing views on nature. In addition, the nymph's
poetry acts as a parody and calls into question the veracity of the original poem's
assertions. While the second piece depicts the terrible aspects of pastoral life, the first
work idealizes it. Both speakers have inflated their points of view, despite the fact that
they have distinct perspectives on love. The nymph utilizes nature's impermanence to
show how their love would someday fade, while the shepherd uses nature's beauty to
represent his love. Therefore, examining both poems may help one better understand
how one person can express his emotions and how time may change everything in the
other. Both works give a variety of perspectives on love while vividly and completely
expressing the conflicting forces of matter and spirit, fervor and reason, and fantasy
and reality. By doing so, readers will get a full picture of a lovely love that must strike
a balance between logic and feeling, a love that springs from the heart but needs to be
considered in light of the future.

7
 REFERENCES

*https://best-writing-service.com/essays/informative/comparing-and-contrasting

*https://midtermguru.com/essays/comparison-between-the-passionate-shepherd-to-his-
love-and-the-nymphs-reply-to-the-shepherd

*Book: a course of British literature 1.