1a. To what elements of nature does Marlowe refer in the first stanza?
2a. What possessions will the speaker give to his beloved?
3a. What references are made to spring in the poem?
4a. What promises does the shepherd make to his beloved?
5a. Do you think the speaker's promises are realistic? Why or why not?
1b. How do these elements of nature give pleasure to people?
2b. Why might the speaker try to persuade his sweetheart with promises of gifts instead of with professions of his love?
3b. What is the significance of spring in this poem?
4b. How would you describe the character of the speaker?
5b. Compare the speaker of this poem with speaker in "Whoso List to Hunt."
Lyric Poem. What emotion does the speaker express?
Pastoral Poem. Review the chart you made in Literary Tools. What idea does the shepherd hope to convey about pastoral life?
1. Choose a mood, such as joy, hope, fear, or sorrow. Then create a list of images that help create that mood in a reader.
2. Write a pastoral poem or a poem that idealizes a favorite place, even if it not rural.
3. Write a poem or letter in response to the shepherd. In your response, explain why you decided as you did.
Building Sentences. Classify the following lines from the poem as either declarative or imperative. (Note: Some of the lines were not written by Marlowe as complete sentences, but they appear as complete sentences here. The brackets around periods indicate that they are not part of the original work.)
1. Come live with me and be my love[.]
2. And we will sit upon the rocks[.]
3. Melodious birds sing madrigals.
4. The shepherds' swains shall dance and sing[.]
5. Then live with me and be my love.
Classifying Poetry. Read the Language Arts Survey 5.4, "Classifying." Then flip through the poetry you have read so far. How might you classify these poems? Create your own headings. Some poems will fit into two or more categories. Be sure to include at least one example for each category that you create.
2a. Poem
4b. Classification
