Analysis on The Nyph

Sir Walter Raleigh writes of a nymph's reply to an eager shepherd's request. Through his stunning use of imagery and figurative language, Raleigh paints an exquisite picture of true love versus the shepherd' s lust.

In the poem the nymph compares the shepherd' s "love" in the second quatrain to just a momentary feeling, or even a crush, when she says ". . .and Philomel becometh dumb, the rest complains of cares to come." By saying this, the Nymph clearly states that the shepherd's love for her is much like a season and will soon pass out of existence just as summer must one day turn to winter. Sir Walter Raleigh also uses imagery when the Nymph speaks of the gifts that the shepherd can give her, in the fifth quatrain, she says to his offer ". . .Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten, In folly ripe in season rotten." Again she tells the shepherd that there is no true love between them, for just as a flower flourishes during the summer, so might the shepherd' s love, but it will not last; as the flower perishes during the winter, so shall his love for her become bleak.

The nymph, however, does slow down to show the shepherd that there might be some hope for them when she

. . .

Concrete- The words are specific and give a mental picture

ex: "coral claps", "rivers rage"

Cacophonous-ex: "rage", "gall", "sorrow", "forgotten", "rotten"

Although there are many pleasant sounding words in the poem they are all dervied from the shepherd's promises.

6) Structurial Divisions

Six four line stanza containing two rhymed couplets

Predominant meter is iambic tetrameter

ex: If all/ the world/ and love/ were young.

The poet wishes to addressee to know that his promises are not possible because time changes them.

However figurative language is not the only tool used in Sir Walter Raleigh's poem to bring it to life, as it also uses imagery.

****Parody-parallels The Passionate Shepherd to His Love in both form and content

Rejects shepherd by stanza 5- "All these in me no means can move"

In Stanza 6 a twist occurs. says, in the last quatrain, "But could youth last and love still breed, has joy no date nor age no need". The nymph says that what makes the shepeherd's vision false is time and attacks his assumption that love and lovers will remain young.

) Title

A nymph's reply to a statement made by a shepherd.

4) Images, Figures of Speech, Literary Devices

Raleigh uses the poetic devices that give Marowe's poem it's musicality.

2)Dramatic Situtaion

Speaker is the nymph (the young girl)

The addressee is the shepherd

3)Subject

The nymph is responding to the proposal made by the shepherd.

7) Rhyme Scheme

aabb ccdd eeff gghh iibb jjbb

8) Title

The nymph's reply to the promises made by the shepherd

9) Theme

The poem is centrally concerned with responding to the invitation by the Shepherd in The Passionate Shepherd to His Love. It is also almost possible to feel the rocks gone cold underneath the river's raging torrent, representing passion gone stale. Imagery and Figurative language give a poem its life and mood; without these two key components poetry would be nothing more than just lifeless words scribbled on a piece of paper. When comparing the shepherd's love to folly in the second line of the second quatrain, the reader can see the river depicted by the Nymph, who replies, "when rivers rage and rocks grow cold.

Common topics in this essay:
Walter Raleigh, Passionate Shepherd, Devices Raleigh, Situtaion Speaker, Divisions Six, Shepherd Love, Reply Shepherd, Walter Raleigh's, Rhyme Scheme, Imagery Figurative, sir walter, walter raleigh, sir walter raleigh, figurative language, shepherd love, nymph's reply, imagery figurative language, passionate shepherd, passionate shepherd love, imagery figurative, shepherd' love, true love, thee thy, title nymph's reply,

Approximate Word count = 921
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

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