Erotic Poetry Reading Assignment
Answer all eight questions. Include plenty of details from the poems.
Comparing Marlowe’s “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” with Ralegh’s “The
Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd” (p. 678 and p. 527)
1) What is the speaker’s argument and method of persuasion in Marlowe’s poem? In
contrast, what is Raleigh’s argument and rebuttal?
The speaker in Marlowe’s poem is arguing that “his love” will have the perfect
relationship if she decides to be with him. For instance, in the second stanza he states,
“And we will sit upon the rocks, seeing shepherds feed their flocks, by shallow rivers
whose falls melodious bird sing madrigals”. The author wants the nymph, or girl to
imagine a romantic scene watching the shepherds and sheep and listen to the melodies of
the birds songs. He is painting this picture in her mind of good things to come while she’s
with him. In Raleigh’s poem, second stanza, he is painting the picture of rejection
towards the guy in Marlowe’s poem. In Raleigh’s poem he states, “time drives the flocks
from the field to fold when rivers rage and rocks grow cold, and philomel becometh
dumb; the rest complains of cares to come.” Raleigh is simply saying that all good things
eventually come to an end, the nymph will not be convinced because nothing lasts
forever.
2) Which images support Marlowe’s argument? How so? Which images in Raleigh’s poem
contrast with and rebut Marlowe’s argument?
- “The shepherds’ swain shall dance and sing/for thy delight each May morning.” This
image of happy shepherds dancing and singing evokes a sense of joy and suggests
that life with the shepherd will be full of happiness. Raleigh’s image that contrast
with Marlowe’s is when he stated, “but could youth last and still love breed,/had joys
no date nor age no need,/ then those delights my mind might move/ to live with thee
and be thy love.” The image of the transience of youth and love challenges the idea
that the shepherds promises can be sustained over time.
3) Which poem do you find more convincing? Why?
- I find Raleigh’s poem more convincing because I agree that nothing lasts forever.
Marlowe’s persuasion seems too good to be true, as if there is a catch to his story.
Comparing Marlowe’s “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” with Donne’s “The
Bait” (p. 678 and p. 934)
1) What is the difference between the first stanza of Donne’s poem versus Marlowe’s
poem?
- Donne’s poem uses the same first line as Marlowe, but his poem has a different
meaning. Donne tries to make the natural world more appealing by describing it with
words of value such as “golden” and “silver”, rather than just speaking of nature like
Marlowe.
2) Contrast the ideas in the second stanza of Donne’s poem versus Marlowe’s. How is
the tone different?
I would say that Donne’s second stanza seems more admirable than Marlowe’s.
Marlowe’s second stanza is him promising romantic scenery with his loved one. The
tone is different because Marlowe’s is persuasion and Donne’s is sort of like bowing
down to a queen and showing your love to her.
3) In the third stanza, Marlowe’s speaker makes his love promises. What is the speaker’s
objective or goal in the third stanza of Donne’s poem?
- Donne is using the fish as a representation of his love in the third stanza. He states
that each fish, “will amorously to thee swim, gladder to catch thee, than thou him.”
Basically, the fish would more than likely be happy to have her than she would be to
have them.
4) What are the dangers the fish face from the bait in stanzas 4-6 in Donne’s poem?
How is this very different from the imagery near the end of Marlowe’s poem?
- The fish in Donne’s poem face the dangers of getting caught. This is different from
the imagery in Marlowe’s poem because there is no chance that the girl would find
someone else unless she comes to her senses of the persuasion he’s using. Marlowe is
simply trying to convince and sway the girl’s mind but in Donne’s poem, “his fish”
can never be caught.
5) Contrast the speaker’s view of love in the two poems.
- The speaker in Marlowe’s poem is trying to persuade and convince the girl to fall in
love with him by describing romantic activities they can do together. He is also
describing romantic pleasures and gestures to win her love. Donne’s poem is more of
describing her beauty in sense. He compliments her beauty by comparing her to bait.
She is the bait that attracts all the fish without even trying or using deceit.
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