This document discusses two types of lyric poetry: pastorals and sonnets. It provides details on pastorals, including common themes like idealizing rural life versus city corruption, and examples of pastorals written by Christopher Marlowe and Sir Walter Raleigh that discuss a shepherd proposing to a nymph and her turning him down due to the inevitability of time and change.
3. Pastorals Idealized view of country life- not realistic Innocence/Serenity of a simple life vs. Misery/Corruption of a city/court life
4. Pastoral Topics Love and seduction Value of poetry Death and mourning Corruption of city/court Purity of country life Satire of politics
5. Types of Pastorals Conversation between: Shepherd and shepherdess he loves (his attempt to seduce her) 2 shepherds (“singing contest”) Lamentation Praise Complaints of lovesick shepherd
6. Common Pastoral Themes Link between love & delights of youth/nature Relationship of love to time Time stops for lovers Time/change = love’s enemy (youth age) Carpe diem (“seize the day”)
7. Christopher Marlowe 1564-1593 Playwright, poet Scoundrel, ladies’ man, hothead Knifed to death in a bar fight Unpaid bill? Government spy?
8. What are we looking for? Speaker of poem? Addressed to what/whom? Discussing what/whom? Theme? Realistic or idealistic?
9. “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”- Christopher Marlowe 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' swains shall dance & sing For thy delight each May morning: If these delights thy mind may move, Then live with me and be my 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 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;
10. What are we looking for? Speaker of poem? Shepherd Addressed to what/whom? His love, shepherdess Discussing what/whom? Shepherdess to come live with him in harmony with nature Theme? Link between love & delights of nature, carpe diem Realistic or idealistic? Idealistic- the world he describes does not exist
11. Sir Walter Raleigh 1554?-1618 Navigator, poet, historian 1584- established Virginia colony Drama! Secret marriage Imprisoned in Tower of London, released Conspiracy against King James I Imprisoned in Tower of London- 13 years! Seeks gold in Venezuela Fights Spain against orders, son dies Forced back to England, executed for disobedience
12. What are we looking for? Speaker of poem? Addressed to what/whom? Discussing what/whom? Theme? Realistic or idealistic?
13. “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”- Sir Walter Raleigh 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, The 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. 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. Time drives the 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.
