The Passionate Shepherd to His Love by Christopher Marlowe

Full Text

Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods, or steepy mountain yields.

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

And I will make thee beds of roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;

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;

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 shepherds' 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.

Overview

A pastoral invitation that promises love through an idealized landscape of music, flowers, and simple luxury.

Line-by-Line Analysis

Lines 1-8

The speaker invites the beloved into a rural paradise filled with natural pleasures.

Lines 9-16

He offers handcrafted gifts made from the landscape itself.

Lines 17-24

The invitation ends with communal joy and repeated persuasion.

Themes

• Pastoral romance
• Idealized nature
• Seduction
• Pleasure

Literary Devices

Imagery

beds of roses — Sensory details create an ideal world.

Refrain

Come live with me, and be my love — Repetition reinforces desire.

Historical Context

A classic Renaissance pastoral poem, later answered by Raleigh with a more skeptical reply.