The poem is an example of the genre in that the passionate shepherd is encouraging his lover to seize the moment and make the fateful decision to be with him forever. There's no sense in which he wants her to think things over. As far as he's concerned, he's given her every possible reason to make this life-changing decision and doesn't see why she should hesitate a moment longer.
The problem for the shepherd, of course, is that his lover is immortal, and so time means nothing to her. She can take as long as she likes; there is no moment for her to seize. And, as an immortal nymph, it's unlikely that she'll be impressed by all the earthly goods that the shepherd has to offer her—from the beds of roses to a belt of straw and ivy buds adorned with coral clasps and amber studs.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44675/the-passionate-shepherd-to-his-love
Sunday, April 29, 2012
In what way is "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" an expression of the philosophy of carpe diem. Carpe diem is Latin for "seize the day": meaning take full advantage of present opportunities. This sentiment is found not only in classical literature but in much of English literature as well (e.g., "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may" and "Had we but world enough, and time, / This coyness, Lady, were no crime").
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What is the theme of the chapter Lead?
Primo Levi's complex probing of the Holocaust, including his survival of Auschwitz and pre- and post-war life, is organized around indiv...
-
The statement "Development policy needs to be about poor people, not just poor countries," carries a lot of baggage. Let's dis...
-
"Mistaken Identity" is an amusing anecdote recounted by the famous author Mark Twain about an experience he once had while traveli...
-
Primo Levi's complex probing of the Holocaust, including his survival of Auschwitz and pre- and post-war life, is organized around indiv...
-
De Gouges's Declaration of the Rights of Woman was enormously influential. We can see its influences on early English feminist Mary Woll...
-
As if Hamlet were not obsessed enough with death, his uncovering of the skull of Yorick, the court jester from his youth, really sets him of...
-
In both "Volar" and "A Wall of Fire Rising," the characters are impacted by their environments, and this is indeed refle...
No comments:
Post a Comment