Analysis

The analysis of the poem “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” by Christopher Marlowe shows that the poem’s outer composition is relatively simple and constant. The inner composition presents the speaker’s request to his lover to join him in living together in the countryside and the arguments the speaker tries to use to make his request more appealing.

 The poem’s speaker is the shepherd mentioned in the title. He presents the beauty and simplicity of the humble life he lives to his lover, whom he attempts to convince to come and live with him in the countryside. 

The setting of the poem is a beautiful and peaceful corner of nature. The speaker focuses on different elements of nature such as mountains and birdsong to make the simple rural life appeal to his lover. 

The poem uses mostly old-fashioned language, typical of the 1500s when the poem was written. The vocabulary is focused on nature and the choice of words helps to enhance the speaker’s message. Several poetic devices such as alliteration and hyperbole are used to make the poem more appealing, while symbols enhance the meaning of the text.