In "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love," it's hard to tell.

The opening line encourages us to think of the poem in terms of romantic interest, but it's not like these two are headed to the marriage altar anytime soon. In fact, we can't even tell if this guy has any intention to drop down on one knee. The poem undoubtedly plays upon romantic ideals, but to what ends? Does the speaker genuinely want love? Or does he just want a roll in the bed of roses?

A figure of speech is a literary device which employs language figuratively (in a non literal or metaphorical sense), in order to create a certain impression. Figures of speech include: Metaphors - used to describe something in terms of something else. A common example in everyday speech would be 'It's raining cats and dogs.' Obviously it is not literally raining furry pets but is used to convey the idea that the rain pouring down hard. Similes - as with metaphors, similes describe something in terms of something else but through comparison using 'like' or 'as.' For example, 'As cold as ice,' or 'memory like a sieve.' Hyperbole - use of exaggeration to emphasise something, such as the statement - 'I could eat a horse' to convey being hungry. Other Examples A figure of speech is something you say, but you don't mean it literally. For example, a figure of speech could be "You're driving me up the wall!" to mean "You are annoying me." Or, "break a leg" which means "good luck
.......The theme of The Passionate Shepherd is the rapture of springtime love in a simple, rural setting. Implicit in this theme is the motif of carpe diemLatin for seize the day. Carpe diem urges people to enjoy the moment without worrying about the future.