The Passionate Shepherd to his Love (Christopher Marlowe), Her Reply (sir Walter Raleigh)

The Passionate Shepherd to his Love (Christopher Marlowe), Her Reply (sir Walter Raleigh)



The passionate shepherd to his love is a work of expressionism and romanticism. It sets Love as the main topic of his letter. This is reflected in lines 1 and 20: “Come live with me and be my love”, line 9: “And I will make these beds of roses and line 24: “Then live with me and be my love.

This has been narrated using the first-person point of view. Marlowe shows an extreme positive thinking believing that everything will work good between him and her love.

This letter further shows what Marlowe will do if the his love will succumb to his pleas as cited in the third stanzas which goes this way

“And I will make thee beds of roses

And a thousand fragrant posies;

A cap of flowers, and kirtle

Embroider’d all with leaves of myrtle.



He further promises his unidentified love the hills, valleys and fields among others. The words show passion and extreme longings to possess the object of his love compounded in the atmosphere of a fantasy-romantic atmosphere. The picture of the world which the shepherd drew is so calm and peaceful with flocks, shallow rivers and singing birds.

Marlowe’s letter does not promise any marriage. Lines 1 and 20 say, “Come live with me and be my love” and the last line, “Then live with me and be my love”.

Both the passionate shepherd to his love and the reply observe the iambic meter. Each is composed of six stanzas. Each has 24 lines. The compositions were bounded with strict observance with meter and rhythm.

The woman was conscious enough of the shepherd’s promises. She uses the exact words to reject such offering.

Using figurative language, the woman compared Marlowe’s love to something that is a passing feeling as reflected in the second stanza which runs as follows:

But time drives flocks from field to fold;

When rivers rage and rocks grow cold,

And Philomel becometh dumb;

The rest complain of cares to come.

Once more, the Nymph affirms that the shepherd is lying: “A honey tongue, a heart of gall.” Whatever he says is very sweet but inside, he isn’t that kind, even quite bitter. The nice life he depicted is just imagination; however, the reality is full of sorrows and worries.

The fourth stanza uses the same words that Marlowe offers. She further stressed in the same paragraphs that these may soon break, wither, forgotten and rotten.

Her letter begins to reject Marlowe’s proposal. But as her reply draws to an end, the woman shows an impossible possibility of giving any positive reply considering that staying young is not impossible as reflected on the last stanza:

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.



Chelyn Torejas, Literary Criticism