Name: Borre, Endrie Reuben Cauzon

9 - Love
03/09/23

Read the poem "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" and answer the following questions.

1. What does the speaker’s use of if reveal in line 1? Summarize the argument the speaker establishes
in stanza 1, using if and might to frame your answer.

The speaker's use of "if" in the first line indicates that the speaker is presenting a hypothetical scenario.
The argument established in the first stanza is that if the world and love were young, and if every
shepherd spoke truth, then the speaker might be moved to live with the shepherd and be his love.

2. What assertion (statement) does the speaker make in stanza 2? How does the language compare or
contrast to the language from the first stanza? Include evidence.

In the second stanza, the speaker asserts that time passes and things change. The language in this
stanza contrasts with the language in the first stanza, which presents an idealized scenario. The
evidence of this contrast is seen in the lines "Time drives the flocks from field to fold, When Rivers rage
and Rocks grow cold," which suggest a harsher reality than the idyllic scenario presented in the first
stanza.

3. What details, words, or phrases repeat in stanzas 4 and 5? What pattern do you notice? What is the
cumulative effect of the repetition and patterns that emerge in stanzas 4 and 5?

The phrase "soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten" is repeated in stanzas 4 and 5. The pattern is one
of repetition and increasing emphasis on the transience of things. The cumulative effect of the
repetition is to reinforce the idea that the pleasures of youth and love are fleeting.

4. How does the speaker address the result of this cumulative effect in stanza 5? What words or
phrases in stanza 1 can help support your understanding?

In stanza 5, the speaker acknowledges that the pleasures of youth and love are indeed fleeting. The
speaker addresses the result of the cumulative effect by concluding that even though these delights
might move the speaker in a perfect world, they cannot move the speaker in the real world. The words
"might" and "move" in the first stanza can support this understanding by emphasizing that the scenario
presented is hypothetical.

5. Consider the first and last stanzas of “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd.” What repeating words
or phrases do you notice? How do the repetitions compare or contrast?
The repeating words or phrases in the first and last stanzas are "live with thee and be thy love." The
repetitions in the last stanza contrast with the idealized scenario presented in the first stanza. The first
stanza presents these actions as possible, while the last stanza presents them as impossible.

6. How does the speaker’s use of might in the last stanza compare to the use in the first? Consider
your understanding of if in the first stanza, as compared to the speaker’s use of then in the last stanza.

The speaker's use of "might" in the first stanza is a conditional statement, while the use of "might" in the
last stanza is more of a speculative statement. The use of "then" in the last stanza implies that the
scenario presented is unlikely to happen. The use of "if" in the first stanza presents a hypothetical
scenario, while the use of "then" in the last stanza suggests a conclusion based on the preceding lines.