The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd

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.

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
The Passionate Shepherd to his love: analysis

First stanza:
The story begins with the Shepherd asking his unnamed lover to come with him and leave the
life that she has been leading. He is hoping that she will be ready to be with him no matter
what she is accustomed to at the current moment. The latter part of the first stanza
describes what it would be like to be together without anything stopping them. He used
terms connected with land and nature such as Valley’s, Mountains, and more.

Second Stanza
The second stanza focuses at the activities that they will do if they were to live together. The
stanza puts emphasis on natural events. It also describes the simplicity of life, albeit fun, if
ever they live together. The couple have time to take a closer look around them because
their lives are now devoted to one another and the world they live in.

Third stanza
This stanza contains promises that the shepherd made in order to seduce or persuade his
lover to join him. He said a lot of sweet, and charming words in hope of appealing himself
to his lover

Fourth stanza
The fourth Stanza mainly focuses on the clothes and accessories that the Shepherd is willing to give
his lover. He promised that if she were to live with him, he would provide her the most lavish of
things. It is important to note this because wealth and occupation is an important factor for her to
join him.

Fifth stanza
While the fourth stanza focuses on accessories, this stanza is more on the clothes that he will give her.
He mentioned luxurious materials and promised her to provide the said materials if she were to live
with him.

Sixth stanza
This stanza describes happiness because of acceptance. With his lover agreeing to move with him,
he rejoiced together with other people.