
Carpe Diem has been a long used sentiment in poetry. The literal translation is "pluck the day", bearing in mind the passage of time (Holman, Snyder). Carpe Diem urges people to make the most of the present day before death arrives. Whenever considered impulsive or unrealistic the classic, more reserved, response comes in the form of realism and practicality. Two such poems that encapsulates this dynamic are "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" and "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd". In "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love", the shepherd displays an urgent longing for love and tries to capture it through the intense description of rewards from accepting his appeal. The speaker seems to believe that offering materialistic "delights" is enough to draw in his love and satisfy his cravings. This is a typical example of an entreaty style Carpe Diem poem, in which a male tries to draw in a female (Poets' Corner - Subject Index - Carpe Diem - Seize the Day). It is also an original for "the invitation to love" archetype which was established in English literature and has continued to be a major focus in poetry( Forsythe 692).Of course the response to the shepherd entails quite a different outlook. In "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd", the nymph draws out the realistic side of life, and offers the perfect opposite to the mindset of the shepherd. Juxtaposed to one another, "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" and "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" offer two entirely different tones that convey the gratification of impulse, and examining the potential consequences before yielding to urges, respectively.

   First, we must examine the contrast between main goals of the poems. The tone of "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" conveys an energetic, fervent tone that contributes to the theme. This is common of a pastoral lyric, which expresses emotions in an idyllic setting. The shepherd uses the physical settings as a source of the joy that he and his love would experience together. The shepherd says that he and his love are subject to the pleasures that "valleys, groves, hills, and fields / Woods or steepy mountain yields" (3-4). The shepherd dramatically describes the beauty of their setting, even referring to the sounds of the pastures, when the "Melodious birds sing madrigals,"(line 8). The shepherd then shifts to materialistic goods, ones that he would personally create for his love. He will make her a "bed of roses" (line 9), "A gown made of the finest wool" (line 13), and "fair lined slippers for the cold" (line 15), among many other items. He concludes by referring to the entertainment that would be provided to her, that even the "shepherds' swains shall dance and sing/For thy delight each May morning :"(line 21-22). He gives one final request by stating that if these "delights" please her, then she should "live with me and be my love."(line 24). The entirety of this ploy focuses on the material side of his affection towards his love. Not once does he mention his emotional connection to her, or what he could provide for her heart or spirit. His appeal could be classified as materialistic, or superficial. He plans for elaborate, ornate projects, hoping to tap into the worldly pleasures of his love.The impulsive nature of the shepherd seems so wonderful, but there is nothing concrete to support him. The transitory makeup of the shepherd's argument does not satisfy his intended love who responds through "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd".

   From the tone of the nymph, it is evident that she will not buy into the shepherd's scheme. She begins with a hypothetical situation, which signals a lack of trust in the legitimacy of the shepherd's plea. She says "If all the world and love were young,/ And truth in every shepherd's tongue,"(1-2), which points to an experience based belief that some shepherds are not honest. At this point, the nymph points out an initial distrust of shepherds. Just as the shepherd, she describes the natural setting, but this time she references the deterioration of nature over time. She claims that "the flowers do fade, and wanton fields/ To wayward winter reckoning yields;"( line 9-10). She continues to follow the format built by the shepherd, starting with nature, and moving to the materialistic goods that he promised to make for her. She talks of "Thy gowns, thy shoes, thy bed of roses, /Thy cap, thy kirtle, and thy posies,"(lines 13-14), and claims that they "Soon break, soon wither,"(line 15). She shoots down every individual promise he made to her, consistently choosing a more pessimistic route in addressing love. She does not want to live her life based on the youthful promise of the shepherd. She prefers to live her life on a realistic basis, as opposed to a materialistic wonderment. 

    Both of these poems illustrate vastly different outlooks on life and love. The shepherd prefers to take an idealistic approach, whereas the nymph prefers the realistic mindset. The shepherd's promises have no meaning to her decision. The shepherd uses youth and passion as a way of convincing his love, but the nymph uses brash reality to deny him.

