An Analysis of the Poem “The passionate shepherd” by Marlowe

Introduction

It is often said that literature is the window to a society’s soul. Among all forms of expressionism, poetry ranks as one of the oldest and it has been closely linked to music which is basically poetry with a tune. Though a poem is often prepared to express individual sentiments, the mode of delivery tends to uncover a lot of information about the society an individual lives in. The different aspects of this society can be adequately analyzed if the poem is looked at through different lenses such as gender roles, relationships between the sexes, an economic perspective and also an historical angle among others. This paper therefore focuses on the poem “The passionate shepherd” by Marlowe (n.d.).

A Summary of the poem

The poem basically begins with a shepherd courting a lady rather directly as he urges her to come and live with him. In his quest to do so he describes the place he stays as aesthetically appealing through a host of beautiful physical features. The following stanza describes their prospective future as one that will be blissful. The third stanza illustrates the gestures the man intends to use once this lady comes to his place. He continues with these descriptions in the fourth stanza. The fifth stanza features the shepherd telling the lady that she needs to heed to his advances if the efforts he makes indeed please her. The finals stanza features the shepherd describing the joy that he will have if she agrees to come and stay with him.

A Gender based Analysis of the poem

This mode of analysis has been selected because of the nature and subject matter of the poem “The Passionate Shepherd to his love.” This is because the main characters of this piece are the shepherd and the lady he is directing his advances at. This brings out a gender-related theme thus the selection of a gender-based analysis.

The first gender stereotype that this poem presents is the idea that men are the ones who are supposed to provide accommodation, presumably at his place of residence to women once they get in a committed relationship. This is seen in the shepherd’s bid to woo the lay by telling her to come and stay with him. The first stanza which reads “…Come live with me and be my love” appropriately captures this situation. This also indicates that this society was generally a patriarchal one where men dominated in virtually all areas. The man seems to be making all the key decisions in this relationship and it is only once occasion where he asks for the lady’s approval.

With regard to satisfaction from a relationship, it is seen in the first stanza’s second line that both parties get to be equally satisfied from the bond that results from the two coming together. This is because nature dictates that man cannot simply enjoy these pleasures on his own. Neither can the woman. However when the two of them come together, things such as mountains and valleys which were previously taken for granted suddenly gain a lot of significance.

Something else that is derived from the poem is that getting into a long term relationship grants both parties some semblance of peace of mind. On the side of the shepherd it can be said that the pursuit has finally come to an end while on the part of the lady it can be seen that she no longer needs to worry about suitors who will come her way seeking her hand in marriage. This reasoning comes from the second stanza where the shepherd tells the woman “and we shall sit upon the rocks.” This is indicative of the two of them resting after what may be said to be a tumultuous period of courtship.

During courtship, it appears that it was the norm for the man to overly exert himself in an effort to please the woman and convince her that he is the right person for her depending on the what pleased her. This is seen in the numerous promises that he makes to her. In the second stanza he assures her that he will make her a bed of roses. Figuratively speaking, a bed of roses is used in a cliché that refers to a fairly easy life. This easy life is associated with many comforts and luxuries. As a result it is safe to assume that in such a society the wealthier a bachelor was, the higher his chances were to get a woman.

With regard to the economic empowerment of the two genders, men were in a better position to own and manipulate wealth and resources in comparison to women. The only reason why he would be promising her all of these things is the fact that she currently desires the same but lacks the means to get them. Accepting the man’s advances appears to be her only ticket to the things being promised. This phenomenon introduces a unique element for a patrilineal society such as this one. Though men dominate most facets of society, women seem to have the upper hand during courtship considering the fate of the relationship seems to ultimately lie in their hands. As a result the lady can easily manipulate the man who will tag a long thinking that he is in control when in reality it is the woman who is the one directing things.

Another difference that emerges in this poem is the unique orientations that the male and female gender exhibit is the orientations that they have towards the tasks they have at hand. Men, using the shepherd as the example seem to be more of goal oriented characters. Basically for them the end justifies the means. This is seen in the way each and every action the shepherd promises to do is geared towards eventually wooing the woman to him. The lady on the other hand is more concerned by the experience or the process of courtship. This is why she is the one who appears to be the one gaining from the courtship as the man adorns her with numerous gifts. For them the means justifies the end. With respect to the relationship between the shepherd and his lover is evident that both of these needs need to be met to the expectations of both parties.

In conclusion it can be stated that through the poem “The Passionate Shepherd” by Marlowe, gender relationships in the society he lived in can clearly be illustrated. The mindsets of both genders lead them to behave in different ways and this is seen in the shepherd’s focus on the goal of getting the lady while the lady’s expectations are met by the man’s providing of the things she desires.

Works Cited

Marlowe (n.d) The Passionate Shepherd and his lover.