Christopher Marlowe and "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" During the 16th and 17th century, England experienced numerous events that contributed to the modern world; which includes political, economic and social occasions. Best known as the Renaissance, this movement caused a revolution in the society extremely important to its development in the religious and in the science world. Everything started when “ [Henry VIII] separated from the Roman church only so he could get a divorce from his wife Catherine. But the structural changes he made [...] meant that the ruler of England now also was head of the church.” ("England in the 16th and 17th Centuries."). The church was no longer the center of most people’s life in one hand, but in the
…show more content…
Nevertheless, his poems also became very appreciated by the readers, especially “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”. The poem was written before he went to London to become a wright player, which reflects the idealized feeling people in the Renaissance period were to feel: living in a countryside accompanied by a lover. However, the Pastoral poem of the 16th century had great influence from “the earliest pastoral poems which [...] are found among the Idyls of Theocritus, a Greek writer who lived in Sicily and in Alexandria, in the third century before Christ.” (“The Pastoral: Ancient and Modern Wilfred P.”). Through the lines, the reader can notice that the story is “[...] presented in an idealized natural setting, [where] they contemplate their perfect and peaceful world that is absent the worries and issues of crowded city life.” ("The Passionate Shepherd to His Love."). In the 16th century, many political and social changes were happening. For that reason, people desired to live a calm life, which they could only experience that feeling while reading the Pastoral poem from Marlowe, in which “the affectation of rustic life in pastoral poetry is a purely artistic device; it creates a distancing effect which allows the poet to step back from and critique society.” (Schwartz, Dr. Debora B.). Yet, living in the countryside would not be as perfect as if there were not loved. The poem shows the desire of a man calling for his love to leave the city to go to a place where they could be happy without worrying about tomorrow enjoying life as much as possible. This sensation is best known as Carpe-diem, in which was commonly applied in the pastoral poems. The poem has an optimistic tone which reflect the passion people feel in the youth. However, the woman in this poem has none participation, at all. “[...] The emphasis of the poem is only on his "passionate" desire to possess the woman. The woman, who has no name
Nevertheless, his poems also became very appreciated by the readers, especially “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”. The poem was written before he went to London to become a wright player, which reflects the idealized feeling people in the Renaissance period were to feel: living in a countryside accompanied by a lover. However, the Pastoral poem of the 16th century had great influence from “the earliest pastoral poems which [...] are found among the Idyls of Theocritus, a Greek writer who lived in Sicily and in Alexandria, in the third century before Christ.” (“The Pastoral: Ancient and Modern Wilfred P.”). Through the lines, the reader can notice that the story is “[...] presented in an idealized natural setting, [where] they contemplate their perfect and peaceful world that is absent the worries and issues of crowded city life.” ("The Passionate Shepherd to His Love."). In the 16th century, many political and social changes were happening. For that reason, people desired to live a calm life, which they could only experience that feeling while reading the Pastoral poem from Marlowe, in which “the affectation of rustic life in pastoral poetry is a purely artistic device; it creates a distancing effect which allows the poet to step back from and critique society.” (Schwartz, Dr. Debora B.). Yet, living in the countryside would not be as perfect as if there were not loved. The poem shows the desire of a man calling for his love to leave the city to go to a place where they could be happy without worrying about tomorrow enjoying life as much as possible. This sensation is best known as Carpe-diem, in which was commonly applied in the pastoral poems. The poem has an optimistic tone which reflect the passion people feel in the youth. However, the woman in this poem has none participation, at all. “[...] The emphasis of the poem is only on his "passionate" desire to possess the woman. The woman, who has no name