When one thinks about farm life, they usually do not associate it with the word romantic. In the 16th century, Alexander Barclay published the first pastoral poems. It glorified life in the countryside and inspired other writers to speak to its beauty. One of the most famous romantic poems of our time is Christopher Marlowe’s 1599 pastoral poem, “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”. His poem attempts to persuade his beloved to come live with him. Marlowe consistently paints a beautiful image of the country to his beloved as his means of rhetoric. Romance is overflowing in this work, but it is just that—romance. Written in the same year, As You Like It, Shakespeare’s comedic pastoral play also portrays the romance that exists in the countryside. While love and romance connect the two works, the pastoral settings differ in their portrayal.
As You Like It by William Shakespeare tells the story of the whimsical courtship between Rosalind and Orlando. In Arden, Rosalind is disguised as a boy and during this time she counsels Orlando and teaches him how to love. In an effort to show his devotion to Rosalind, Orlando reads one of his love poems. He says “O Rosalind! These trees shall be my books/ And in their barks my thoughts I’ll character/ That every eye which in this forest looks/ Shall see thy virtue witnessed everywhere/ Run, run Orlando, carve on every tree” (Shakespeare pg. 47 lines 5-9). In this section, Orlando expresses that he plans to write love letters on every tree to show the extent of his love. His decision to write the poems on the tree is a significant one because the tree is a characteristic of pastoral literature. Pastoral works commonly reference animals, trees and beautiful landscapes.
In As You Like It, nature is used to value Rosalind, whereas in Marlowe’s “The Passionate Shepard to His Love”, the speaker is using nature as a means to be greedy and show off. When Orlando is trying to persuade Rosalind to be with him, he writes about her beauty, class and how much he values her. Meanwhile in Marlowe’s poem, the speaker lays out a list of endowments that would be given if the woman comes to live with him. The speaker says “Come live with me and be my love/ And we with all the pleasures prove/ That valleys, groves, hills and fields/ Woods, or steepy mountain yields” (Marlowe lines 1-4). In this stanza, both natural and physical pleasures are referenced. The gifts in the beginning of the poem represent a lustful undertone in the first stanza. Once the poem moves forward, the gifts acquire a greater significance. The speaker puts physical love and nature side by side and it is almost as if they are equal to him.
Throughout the poem there is a “lust vs. love” concept that is constantly reiterated. Not only can the speaker promise good sex; he can also make pretty gifts out of nature. The speaker wants his beloved to know that he is capable of both; and that should be attractive to her. In stanza four he says “A gown made of the finest wool/ Which from our pretty lambs we pull; fair lined slippers for the cold/ With buckles of the purest gold” (Marlowe lines 13-16). Nature provides everything that is needed to make his beloved happy. Unlike Orlando, the speaker of Marlowe’s poem just wants sex from the girl he is referring to, so, he is using nature for his own personal gain. Orlando acts differently and uses nature to show his genuine love for Rosaline.
In response to “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”, Sir Walter Raleigh, writes “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”, which directly contradicts all of Marlowe’s ideas. In “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”, Raleigh says that Marlowe’s “love” knows exactly what his intentions are. The poem explains that all the promises in Marlowe’s poem do not hold time. The promises and gifts will slowly decay and over time their love will too. Raleigh’s poem states “if all the world and love were young/ and truth in every shepherd’s tounge/ These pretty pleasures might me move/ To live with thee and love thy love” (Raleigh lines 1-4). This excerpt crushes Marlowe’s poem and claims that love is fleeting.
Correspondingly, In As You Like It, Rosalind makes a similar assertion when speaking about how men can be volatile when it comes to love. In scene four act one, Rosalind states “Say ‘a day’ without the ‘ever’. No, no, Orlando; men are April when they woo, December when they wed. Maids are May when they are maids, but the sky changes when they are wives” (Shakespeare pg. 77 lines 136-139). Here, Rosalind illustrates a clear, realistic argument about love. She discusses the idea of love drifting away after it is worn out. When people are young and full of energy, there is passion in romance. However, when the love becomes old, it begins to cool.
When women are married, love also tends to die out because there is no competition or jealousy anymore. Rosalind uses the seasons to show her awareness of this fact. Seasons and months are part of nature. For example, Rosalind compares December to the time that men get married. In December, the winter begins and inevitably pieces of nature die out. The winter is cold and lonely due to the inclement weather. Therefore, this is the time in which men seek out wives. In opposition, April begins the spring season which bears new life. So, a man will browse different, new, young women during that time.
The different parts of nature mentioned in “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” and As You Like It also help to identify what type of relationship each man is looking for. The tree in As You Like It represents long term commitment; when you plant a tree, it is there for a very long time. Trees are very stable and they are constantly growing together. Likewise, Orlando is very stable and wants Rosalind to share her life with him. The only way to do this is through a long-term commitment such as marriage. In Marlowe’s poem, the speaker continuously comments on different parts of nature. He mentions animals, rocks, hills and bodies of water. His poem does not focus on just one aspect of nature. The speaker’s need for endless change parallels what he wants out of his relationship. His thoughts are moving and evolving like multiple short bursts of pleasure. Sex can provide a momentary feeling of bliss and Marlowe’s poem reflects this logic.
In conclusion, pastoral literature and imagery can be interpreted in different ways, however, in both As You Like It by William Shakespeare and “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” by Christopher Marlowe, symbolism is used as an effective way to depict feelings of love and romance. References to parts of nature such as trees, seasons, flowers and animals, give the various works a deeper meaning. In As You Like It, Orlando is loyal, committed and firm in his decision to marry Rosalind. In Arden, the tree was more than just a part of the forest, it stood as a part of Orlando’s love for Rosalind. In “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” the speaker has no intentions on marrying the woman he is speaking to. His love is short term and will fade out quickly. “The Nymphs Reply” by Raleigh is used to highlight the theme of Marlowe’s poem, as well as support Rosalind’s ideas in As You Like It.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. As You Like It. New York: Penguin, 017. Print
Marlowe, Christopher. “A Passionate Shepherd to His Love” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44675/the-passionate-shepherd-to-his-love
Nardine, Cristina. “Romance in As You Like It by William Shakespeare and ‘The Passionate Shepherd To His Love’ by Christopher Marlowe”