The Shepherd and the Chaste

[Caro]

So, I had to write this poem for my Intertextuality class. You will have to read the first two, written in dialogue by famous authors of antiquity (sorry) to understand mine. We were supposed to create a response within the content, but we didn't need to make it fit the form.

I, being an ambitious student, formed my poem to have the same rhyme scheme and number of lines as the first two. Not easy!



The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
Christopher Marlowe, 1599

COME live with me and be my Love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That hills and valleys, dale and field,
And all the craggy mountains yield.

There will we sit upon the rocks
And see the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers, to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals.

There will I make thee beds of roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroider'd all with leaves of myrtle.

A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty lambs we pull,
Fair linèd slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold.

A belt of straw and ivy buds
With coral clasps and amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me and be my Love.

The shepherd swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May-morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me and be my Love.

The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd
Sir Walter Raleigh, 1600

If all the world and love were young,
And truth in every shepherd's tongue,
These pretty pleasures might me move
To live with thee and be thy love.
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.
The flowers do fade, and wanton fields
To wayward winter reckoning yields;
A honey tongue, a heart of gall,
Is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall,
Thy gowns, thy shoes, thy beds of roses,
Thy cap, thy kirtle, and thy posies
Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten--
In folly ripe, in reason rotten.
Thy belt of straw and ivy buds,
Thy coral claps and somber studs,
All these in me no means can move
To come to thee and be thy love.
But could youth last and love still breed,
Had joys no date nor age no need,
Then these delights my mind might move
To live with thee and be thy love.

The Shepherd's Reply to Rejection
Caroline -------, 2004

So you see, young miss, that my intent
Was to rob you of your self respect
By offering temporal toys
Instead of holy union joys.
Allow me then to re appeal...
My true desire shall be revealed.
These gifts will pass in time, you say
'Tis true, but will your beauty stay?
Where now you have a healthy glow
And perfect teeth all in a row
Soon time shall steal away your grace,
Will leave you old, and mutton-faced.
What's this, don't go, I am not through
I only meant that lovers do
That which all God's creatures find
Pleasurable, but you are too refined.
It seems, you haughty shepherd lass
That in your character, there is class
Uncommon to your company
A shepherd girl anomaly!
If my gifts cannot move
You to come with me, and be my love
Then may I please ask of thee
To say nothing to the girls of me?

[4*20]

Caro... You are full of talent. Very nice text, rimes, everything.
That's some really nice work.

[Weedguru_Fire_Inside]

Fuckin' Awesome!!

[zonked.]

you're very talented, caro!
keep it up