Nothing More Then False Promises

    If you choose to be with me all give you everything I possibly can! Beds made of roses, gorgeous gowns, slippers made of gold and a life filled of nothing, but butterflies, romance, beauty, and a life with no worries! Can life get any better? Maybe this would be perfect for a disney fairytale story, but reality is that The Passionate Shepherd To His Love, by Christopher Marlowe although it makes me feel butterflies in my stomach, and allows me to feel the romance, the reality check is life isn't perfect and although he can promise his love all the beauties of nature. It does not change the fact that life is not perfect, life consists of worries, and issues which can't just be tossed off to the side and paid no attention to. 

   What better way to strike up a reality check to Marlowe as well as his readers then by mirroring word for word, how every line is nothing more then an unrealistic promise which can not be kept. The Nymph's Reply To The Shepherd, by Sir Walter Raleigh does an amazing job being successful at telling everything exactly how it is. Truth is flowers die, the youthful becomes old, whats viewed as pleasant and enjoyable won't always remain that way. My favorite line of all "is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall". This line tells it all without not even having to say much at all. What's that you may ask? It's crystal clear... yes, spring is filled with beautiful flowers, great weather, pretty trees, and filled with all types of natures beauty. But reality is fall will get here eventually, and as pretty as spring may have been, those beautiful flowers are going to die, the gorgeous perfect weather will become hideous and unpleasant, and those big beautiful green trees will drop all their leaves and be left bare. 

   Reality is although life has its pleasant times, it also has the unpleasant. Why make false promises? I feel that Raleigh did an amazing job demonstrating to Marlowe, that although its sweet that he is such a romantic reality is we don't live in a perfect world or a world thats even close to perfect. Courting a girl is adorable don't get me wrong, but reality is that not all girls lack brains so why make nothing more then false promises? If anything these false promises make it seem as if Marlowe has nothing worthy to actually offer the girl. Can't win a girl over without having something more to offer. In this situation I'm sorry to say it Marlowe, but your sweet words that come from the heart may just not cut it, especially now a days. 

   After having read these two poems separately, at first I did find courting a girl in this manner to be a sweet gesture, but then after having read them side by side I had a great change of heart. Marlowe's work became nothing but unrealistic nonsense. Reading both side by side also truly gave me a clearer view as to how Raleigh used the exact same writing technique, by creating his stanza's of the same length as Marlowe's, as well as by maintaining the same number of syllables per line make the poems rhyme in the same manner. Hate to have to break it to Marlowe, but reality is Raleigh has greatly left your works to look nothing but foolish in so many manners. What more is there to say other then better luck next time! The moral here is clearly don't make false promises unless you are ready to make a fool of yourself and reality is no one wants that.