Biological

 In the “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”, the nymph (main character who is narrating the poem) expresses her rejection to the shepherd’s proposal of love
and courtship. The nymph, being an immortal being, understands and argues that the gifts and love being offered by the shepherd, who is a mortal man, will
someday fail just as how a man will someday wither and fall to his death.

Social

 The society’s beliefs during the 16 th century when the poem was written include the importance of retaining a young lady’s chastity. Although it was not
explicitly stated in the poem, the nymph’s chastity and how the society would perceive her actions is an important element to understand her reluctance to the
shepherd’s offering of love. The society’s perception of a love affair between an immortal nymph and a mortal shepherd may have also affected her decision of
rejecting him.

Post-structuralism: Deconstruction

 In the lines 1-8, the poem was opened with a statement to answer the shepherd in contradiction to his propositions. The nymph argues that she might be
moved by the shepherd’s offering had these offerings remain to be forever true.
 In the lines 9-16, the nymph contrasts the shepherd’s visions that the world and love do not remain young forever, and even though she finds his offerings
wonderful, all these are bound by time, subject to change and decay.
 In the lines 17-24, the poem was closed with the statement of the nymph listing some of the shepherd’s offering to her and that although time and mortality
prohibits her to believe in his promises, she somehow wishes that these promises may still be possible.
 - This need was met by the nymph when she replied, "in me no
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
means can move" which seems to be her final rejection to the
shepherd. In the end, she yields to the onward progression of
time, allowing all to grow old, to change, and to wither away
just as it was meant to be. She was self-aware, less-concerned
with the opinions of others, and interested in fulfilling her full
potential.
 Self-
Actualiza
tion

Esteem
- This need was met by the nymph as it
can be inferred from the poem that she
has gained the society or her peers'
respect as she stood firm in her rejection
of the shepherd's offerings.
Love/Belonging (Social Needs)
- This need was partly met by the nymph because the shepherd was
willing to give her his love but she was not able to return this love back
as she rejected his offering. However, she would be willing to run off
with the shepherd if she thought that their youthful enthusiasm could
last.

Safety
- This need was easily met by the nymph for she is an immortal being not capable of decaying, rotting,
or dying. Her safety and security needs are greatly assured because of her immortality.

Physiological
- The shepherd compares his love for the nymph with the life that he lives so he offers her gifts for her physical needs, as all he knows
as a mortal being is materialistic and temporary. This need was however met even without the offerings of the shepherd because the
nymph is an immortal being. Thus, the nymph reminds the shepherd, his gifts only symbolize decay and the passing of time: they
“soon break, soon wither,” and are “soon forgotten.”

Feminism Extracted Theme

  MATERIALISM – The society often thinks that women can be courted or won easily by presenting and offering them material gifts, but in this poem, the nymph
stood firm in her belief that she rejects the shepherd’s love as the materialistic gifts offered to her are not what completes her as a woman. She has her own
values and beliefs she needs to fulfill herself and can fulfill herself without the need of another man’s belongings or offerings, and that she does not need these
things in order to know her own worth, especially if these things are contrary to what she firmly believes in. She is an immortal and firmly believes that over
time, the shepherd as a mortal will fade to death with the material things he is offering.

Deconstructionism and Psychoanalysis

 HOPE - At first glance, it can be easily said that the nymph completely rejects the shepherd’s offering of love, but when one looks closely, the nymph is just
basically reluctant. It does not mean that she completely hates the shepherd or that she never wanted to accept his love. She was just firm in her belief that she
was timeless, and the shepherd was not, and that she understands that time would not permit their love to grow or stay forever. However, the nymph states
that she also does hope, although impossible, that time would allow them, and if that happens, she would readily accept the shepherd’s love for her.

Unified Theme

 TIME: IMMORTALITY AND MORTALITY

Unscrambling the Theme

 The theme extracted is the role of time in connection to the immortality and mortality of the characters of the poem. This is the main element which affects the
nymph’s reluctancy and decision to reject the offerings and love of the shepherd for her. The nymph’s understanding of time and how she uses it in her
argument is the most important issue in this poem. The nymph, being an immortal being, understands that the shepherd is a mortal being whose love will
probably fade over time, as well as the gifts he is offering her as much as he is to fall to death someday. Time is also the solution presented by the nymph as an
answer to their main problem that if only time allows the shepherd’s offerings and love to remain forever, then she will surely accept them.