For Ronny Mugo

With just reading the beginning of the poem one can observe how the speaker intends to offer things in order to get love back. The first two lines say, ‘’Come with me and be my love, and we will all the pleasure prove’’, proves that the intentions of the speaker is to make the woman to be his lover, and in order to achieve that, he states that he will provide all the pleasures needed. Further that, the speaker gives examples of what he will supply to her, emphasizing the stereotype that man must offer material gifts to women, because in order for women to fall in love one must offer something of their interest.

The poem describes femininity as materialism, and masculinity as the provider of the goods. This makes women look like women as they prefer material goods rather than emotion and affection. Even though within the poem the speaker seems to be humble because most of the things the speakers offer can be found in nature. ‘’ A gown made of the finest wool/ Which from our pretty lambs we pull;’’ (466). The speaker offers several things, however nothing expensive. On the other hand, this means the addressee is humble too. She is humble because the speaker does not need to offer her any expensive gifts to gain her love. But still, he needs to offer everything he can provide in order to get this woman to agree to be with him. ‘’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’’ (466). The speaker tries to persuade her with beautiful natural scenes, in order to gain her love.

Throughout the poem it is showed how men have to be the providers. The speaker is the one who is offering everything, without asking anything back. All he wants is to keep the lady. The speaker is reinforcing the stereotype that men are the ones who need to work hard in order to provide everything. However, this shows that women are not in charge of doing anything. Contrasting the men, the poem describes how women just need to enjoy men’s presents. Because the speaker is the one offering and providing, women end up with no responsibility and just enjoy the gifts.

The speaker does not offer love, instead, he asks for it. He shows how he cares for her by offering several gifts without asking for any material thing back. He claims how if she agrees to be his love, he will be in charge of her needs. So, even though women have no responsibility, they have a commitment with the men, that in order to have all those things they must provide love and affection to their lovers.

The poem reveals how when it comes to sex and power, women are the ones who are more powerful. Even though throughout the poem’s surface it looks like men are more powerful than women, if one reads more carefully, it is actually the other way around. Masculinity through centuries have been considered the more powerful sex. This has a lot to do with men being considered strong and women fragile. Men were considered physically stronger than women, and being the man who is in charge of working, makes some people believe they have more power. Still, this poem reveals the opposite. While men have the power of working and strength, women posses the power of decision. While men are the ones who work hard in order to satisfy women and to be able to provide for all their needs, women are still the ones who decide whether or not be with the man. In the poem it is showed how the speaker gives an effort in offering all these things mentioned before in order to gain her interest. However, it is still the woman’s decision if she is interested in accepting all these goods and give love as return, or if she wants to wait for some other man who has better things to offer. The speaker may be offering all this things in vain. Still, it is shown how even though the addressee choses some other man rather than him, he still tries to offer as many things as he can, additionally making this things sound better than they really are, because. This is the way the poem suggests women are conquered.

Within the poem ‘’The Passionate Shepherd to his love’’, the stereotype of women being materialists and men having to provide the material things in order to gain their love is demonstrated. The two final lines of this poem state, ‘’If these delights thy mind may move, Then live with me and be my love’’. The final decision is on the addressee. The speaker may offer all this things, he believing if she seems delighted by all these gifts, then she should accept to be his love. This poem also demonstrates, how women are described as materialistic because in order to conquer them with love, men must offer material things. This stereotypes by saying women as they do not care about love and emotions, but just about what the man is able to offer.

Works Cited

Miller, Quentin & Julie Nash. Connections: Literature for Composition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008.