“The Passionate Shepherd To His Love” Dabina, Caroline, Diane, Ryan, and Max
Thesis In “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love,” the theme of the shepherd coaxing the object of his affections to the countryside to live a luxurious life is supported throughout the poem through the poet's use of various stylistic features such as conventional structure, imagery, a loving tone, and symbolism.
Main Ideas The speaker of the poem, a shepherd, is in love with someone The shepherd wants object of their affections to come to the countryside with them They’ll enjoy the countryside together https://noltrane.wordpress.com/2009/06/05/out-of-iberia/
STRUCTURE
Iambic tetrameter – meter almost always iambic, regular Lends a singsong quality Smooth Uses a rhyme scheme (AABB) Employs consonance Regular, conventional structure
Tone
Tone Loving, caring tone Speaker constantly tells the person he loves that he will offer or promise them things Sounds like a confession of love Is affectionate, passionate, like a love song Effect: shows the reader the extent of the passion the speaker feels for the person they love, the poem’s “you” http://imagesci.com/love-wallpaper-desktop-9231-hd-wallpapers.html
Symbolism
Symbols “valleys, groves, hills, and fields, woods, or step mountain” lines 3, 4 “roses” line 9 Often represents love, beauty, and desire “posies” line 10 “myrtle” line 12 Often associated with Greek goddess of love/sexuality “ivy buds” line 17 “coral” line 18 Overlap with poem’s imagery All connect to love and marriage Shows loving environment of the couple Presents pastoral, beautiful scenery http://www.globeimages.net/img-haa-valley-in-bhutan-660.htm
Imagery
Visual imagery (Lines 3 ~ 4): “That hills and valleys, dale and field, / And all the craggy mountains yield.” Provides image of overall landscape Auditory and visual imagery (Lines 5 ~ 8): “There will we sit upon the rocks / And see the shepherds feed their flocks, / By shallow rivers, to whose falls” Makes mood blissful, comforting, and relaxing Olfactory imagery (Lines 9 ~ 10): “There will I make thee beds of roses / And a thousand fragrant posies,” Fragrant smell of flowers Softness of rose petals Overall, the imagery highlights the simple, rustic pleasures of the countryside http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Posies.jpg
Literary devices
Literary devices help glorify the life in the countryside Alliteration http://cheaphotelsme.wordpress.com/tag/country-side/ Literary devices help glorify the life in the countryside Alliteration Creates a kind of rhythm, seems musical Rhyme AABBCCDD form, as previously mentioned Repetition and hyperbole Emphasizes how much the speaker loves the countryside These all make the poem more lyrical
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