Elizabethan and Early Seventeenth Century Love Poems

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Elizabethan-era Christopher Marlowe's poem "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" and early seventeenth century John Donne's "The Flea" share the same theme of romantic love; however, these poems are intrinsically and distinctly different as were the periods in which they were written. The author points out that, though both poem's speakers seek to win over the object of their desire, the ways they go about convincing their love are strikingly different, their images of love are juxtaposed and their definitions and depictions of love completely contrary. The paper concludes that Marlowe's poem describes a romantic love affair, while the speaker in Donne's poem goes in a different direction: sexual gratification.

From the Paper:

'The role assigned to the man and woman of these two poems are quite different. In "The Passionate Shepherd to his Love", the speaker (the man) clearly adores his love, while the speaker of "The Flea" is, essentially, a flea himself. The role of the man in Marlowe's poem is to give gifts and praise and care for his love. The role of the man in Donne's poem is to attempt to persuade his love into having sex with him. The women are treated differently and have different roles as well. In Marlowe's poem, the woman is someone to be put on a pedestal that should be given the finest things nature can provide.'

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