Nancy Gilmore
ENG/125 Literature in Society
January 22, 2010
Mr. Jeff Verver

In “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd” by Sir Walter Raleigh, is a comeback poem to Christopher Marlowe’s poem, “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”. Both of these poems use imagery and symbolism to describe love. The formation and construction of these poems are consistent and related. The poems also create rhythms that allow the text to flow and come together. Raleigh main focus in his poem describes conflict and rejection of being in love. A nymph is goddesses in ancient mythology represented as maidens living the mountains, forests, meadow, and waters. Raleigh uses the word "nymph" instead of "girl" in the title so the reader can identify that the speaker is a girl. The stanzas in each poem often reflect one another and Raleigh’s poem answers the request to the shepherd. Marlowe begins with the proposal for the maiden to "Come live with me and bee my Love" (1). This statement made by the shepherd is asking for her to be with him. His request is simple and truthful, with "all (her) pleasures prove" (2) if only she will live with him and be his love. He wanted to give her eternal love through his materialistic world, but this perception of love represents the idea that love can be bought at a price. Raleigh’s reply to the shepherd proves that love is not what it seems to be. He states in the first stanza
“If all the world and love were young, And truth in every shepherds tongue,
These pretty pleasures might me move,
To live with thee, and be thy love.” (1-4). Raleigh uses perfect rhythm and half –rhythm in this stanza. The first line begins with “if” as the speaker doesn’t believe what has been stated by the shepherd to be truthful, although it may sound and look good. Since the requests of the shepherd are empty and without worth, so is her reply. When the world remains young and truth in the only language spoken, the request might be invited. The word “young and tongue” remind me of a child and some of the things they may say that may not be truth. Many times, Raleigh’s nymph manipulates the diction used to fire away at the shepherd’s tantalizing proposal. The young woman uses words of nature imagery to the shepherd as she let him down with her thoughts and conveys her true feelings. In the second stanza, Raleigh continues to use rhythm and natures imagery to reply to the shepherd.
“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.” (5-8)
The nymph describes an iambic triameter timeline in a relationship at the beginning. I imagine as “time drives,” you travel to and from many “fields” and “folds” are like curves and maneuvers. She also gives harsh details of how the environment can change over time with rivers rages and rocks growing cold. Her reply with rage gives the thought of her being upset with the shepherd and his wishful thinking. A Philomel is a Greek mythology that was an attractive woman who was raped and later transformed into a gossiper but becomes dumb. The nymph believes that the shepherd’s love will change overtime. As Raleigh continue to use rhythm and end rhymes to imply order as in the third stanza, “The flowers do fade, and wanton fields, / To wayward winter reckoning yields,” (9-10). The nymph’s reply again with the knowledge that flowers fades and soon die, and so does infatuation in some relationships. In the next couplet, “A honey tongue, a heart of gall, / Is fancy’s spring, but sorrow’s fall.” (11-12). She denies his love by using the sweet word of honey which is the opposite of the bitterness of gall. She also shows the changing of seasons and the effect it has on romance. Typically in the spring or when it s warm outside people are more likely to be happy and dress in their favorite clothing, but when you think of fall, it appears to be dreary or sad. She knows time too will change those objects of simple material value, into nothing of apparently meaningless. “Thy gowns thy shoes, thy bed of roses, / Thy cap thy kirtle, and thy posies, / Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten” (13-15). Once again the power of nature imagery is represented here. Materialism can never enter the realms of true love and happiness. Sooner or later the love will vanish. Raleigh is able to take all of Marlowe's metaphors of love and in return show how none are as valuable. The idea of love shown in the pastoral representation proves that material images can paint a picture. The fourth stanza is a mirror to the shepherd and the nymph reply by repeating exactly what had been said.
“Thy belt of straw and ivy buds,
Thy coral clasps and amber studs,
All these in me no means can move,
To come to thee, and be thy love.” (17-20).
I assume that the nymph think that the materialistic words from the shepherd sounds good because she replies by stating that all those things doesn’t mean anything to her. In the last stanza, the nymph actually answers the shepherd’s request to his love and ironically Raleigh replied in the beginning first stanza. “If all the world and love were young, / And truth in every shepherd’s tongue,” (1-2). “But could youth last, and love still breed, / Had joys no date, no nor age no need,” (21-22). She state that “if” beginners love would last forever and continue to grow like in “breed”, then being young and in love will make them happy and sincere.
Analyzing and comparing Raleigh’s reply to Marlowe love poem was created with great imagery of nature and metaphors. If the nymph believed that what the shepherd could offer her would last through all eternity than maybe she would have given him a chance, but since the season changes and material things depreciate she believe so do love.

Raleigh, Sir Walter. (2011). “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd.” Literature for Compositon. Barnet, S., Cain, W.E., and Burto, W. 9th ed. (p.720-721). Boston, Ma: Longman. (Original work published c.1600).
Marlowe,Christopher. (2011). “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love.” Literature for Composition. Barnet,S.,Cain, W. E., and Burto, W. 9th ed. (p.719-720). Boston, Ma: Longman. (Original work published 1599-1600).