Comparing Sir Walter Raleigh's "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" to Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love"
English 108 Essay #2
Comparing Sir Walter Raleigh's "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" to Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love"
Sir Walter Raleigh created "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" as a response to Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love". In "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love", the Shepherd used puns and other hidden sexual images in an attempt to trick the Nymph into performing sexual acts with him. The Shepherd attempted to persuade the Nymph into believing that he would give her the various presents and pleasures that he described, but in reality his gifts were really only comprised of sexual implications. However, the Nymph was exceptionally intelligent and she trusted her intuition and was able to foresee the Shepherd's hidden seductions. She was so intelligent and cunning that she hastily rejected the Shepherd's proposal by using the Shepherd’s exact words from his request.
The Shepherd in Marlowe's poem used disguised sexual images in hope that the Nymph would be attracted to him. The Shepherd first offered the Nymph "...valleys, groves, hills, and fields, woods, or steepy mountain yields"(3-4). He hopes that the Nymph would interpret the images as places he would like to take her, but in reality the he was merely describing the various parts and curves of her body that he would like to explore. The Nymph replies to his offer by stating, "The flowers do fade, and wanton fields, to wayward winter reckoning yields” (9-10. Which means that things change and though the Shepherd has a sexually unrestrained body, that through time he will become headstrong and unwilling to continue the sexual pleasures.
The Shepherd offered the Nymph actual gifts containing sexual significance. In one example, the Shepherd offers the Nymph "...a kirtle, embroidered all with leaves of myrtle" (11-12). A kirtle was an informal skimpy gown and myrtle is a flower of love. The
Comparing Sir Walter Raleigh's "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" to Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love"
Sir Walter Raleigh created "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" as a response to Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love". In "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love", the Shepherd used puns and other hidden sexual images in an attempt to trick the Nymph into performing sexual acts with him. The Shepherd attempted to persuade the Nymph into believing that he would give her the various presents and pleasures that he described, but in reality his gifts were really only comprised of sexual implications. However, the Nymph was exceptionally intelligent and she trusted her intuition and was able to foresee the Shepherd's hidden seductions. She was so intelligent and cunning that she hastily rejected the Shepherd's proposal by using the Shepherd’s exact words from his request.
The Shepherd in Marlowe's poem used disguised sexual images in hope that the Nymph would be attracted to him. The Shepherd first offered the Nymph "...valleys, groves, hills, and fields, woods, or steepy mountain yields"(3-4). He hopes that the Nymph would interpret the images as places he would like to take her, but in reality the he was merely describing the various parts and curves of her body that he would like to explore. The Nymph replies to his offer by stating, "The flowers do fade, and wanton fields, to wayward winter reckoning yields” (9-10. Which means that things change and though the Shepherd has a sexually unrestrained body, that through time he will become headstrong and unwilling to continue the sexual pleasures.
The Shepherd offered the Nymph actual gifts containing sexual significance. In one example, the Shepherd offers the Nymph "...a kirtle, embroidered all with leaves of myrtle" (11-12). A kirtle was an informal skimpy gown and myrtle is a flower of love. The