Christopher Marlowe

Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)
A shadow of mystery surrounds the life and death of Christopher Marlowe. He was killed in a tavern fight when he was only twenty-nine. Nicknamed "Kit," he grew up in Canterbury and studied at Cambridge where he supposedly worked as some kind of government spy. Some believe that his death was a result of his espionage work; others believe he was simply killed in a brawl that erupted over paying a bill. However he died, his death was a tragedy to the literary world.

In just six short years, he managed to write what are now considered classics. Marlowe is best known for Dr. Faustus, which tells the age-old story of a man who sells his soul to the devil. In his plays, Marlowe used blank verse or unrhymed poetry that has a regular rhythm and line length, a style that Shakespeare would later use. By the time of his death, Marlowe was the most famous playwright of his day and had already earned the title "Father of English Tragedy." Itwas only after Marlowe's death that William Shakespeare's career began its meteoric rise.

In the poem "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love," Marlowe shows the Elizabethan model of courtship and heavenly love. It is written in the pastoral style and describes only the beauty, and not the reality, of the relationship the shepherd proposes. "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" ranks as one of the most famous of the Elizabethan lyric poems.

 

Important Vocabulary

Words to Know:

  • Grove
  • Steepy
  • Madrigal
  • Posies
  • Kirtle
  • swain

The Passionate Shepherd

"The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" is considered a pastoral poem. This type of genre deals with the lives of shepherds or rural life in general.

The speaker in a poem is the voice that addresses the reader like the
narrator in fiction.

Read the poem "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love."

"The Passionate Shepherd to His Love"

Let's look at the poem before reading the reply.

What phrase is repeated three times? What phrase is repeated three times?
What aspects of the pastoral poem can you find?What aspects of the pastoral poem can you find?
What is the rhyme scheme? What is the rhyme scheme?

Identify the imagery in the poem.

Sound
Sight
Touch
Smell

Sir Walter Raleigh

Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618)
Sir Walter Raleigh is best known as an English explorer who founded the colony of Virginia. He was also a friend of Christopher Marlowe and was a member of Queen Elizabeth's court. Even though he was talented and ambitious, he was also hot-tempered and emotional. He was a soldier, noble, poet, and historian. In addition to founding Virginia, he introduced tobacco to Europe and fought the Spanish Armada.

James I, Elizabeth's successor, feared and distrusted Raleigh. During James's reign, Raleigh was charged with treason and sentenced to death. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London where for twelve years his family and servants lived with him. During these years he wrote his History of the World. He was finally executed in 1618 after a failed attempt to get the gold to buy his release.

While he was in prison, Raleigh also wrote "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd." His poem is the young woman's reply to Marlowe's passionate shepherd. Unlike Raleigh's shepherd, she is practical and realistic in her view of the world.

Important Vocabulary

Words to Know:

Nymph
Fold
Philomel
Wanton

The Nymph's Reply

Read the poem "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd."

"The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd"

Under what circumstance would the nypmh agree to live with the shepherd?
What is the nymph'sattitude toward the shepherd?
What is the rhyme scheme?

Identify the imagery in the poem.

Sound
Sight
Touch

Rhyming Couplets

Notice that the two poems are both a series of rhyming couplets or two lines of verse, but the poets differ in the types of figurative language they use to develop their poems. Marlowe's shepherd's outlook on life is simply stated - "don't worry - be happy." To make this clear to the reader, Marlowe used concrete imagery that appeals to most of the senses, exactly what the shepherd wanted to do - appeal to the young woman's senses and emotions. He also used "ivory," "silver," "amber," and "gold" to symbolize the riches he would provide for her.

The Nymph's Reply

Raleigh's young woman is much more level-headed than the shepherd. She believes that it's foolish not to think about the future. She knows all too well that fun won't last forever. To help the reader understand her viewpoint, Raleigh also uses vivid imagery, but his is not so appealing. The nymph reminds us of "raging rivers, withered flowers, and barren winter fields."