There are different types of poetry and the type of poetry that I got really interested in was Idyll type of poetry. The word Idyll is derived from the Greek word ‘edyllion’, and it means little picture. As the word suggests the poem comprises of little peaceful scenes from idealized country sites where everybody is living in harmony and the Mother Nature is very blissful. The other type of idyll poetry comprises of the stories of ancient heroes, celebrating their success. The famous poem ‘The Passionate Sheppard to his Love’ by Christopher Marlow has images of a perfect countryside where the Sheppard lives and he is trying to persuade his lover through these images. He is trying his best to let his lover know that if she decided to accept his love, then she will find beautiful things waiting for her in the meadow. In the poem the poet mentions:
“And we will sit upon the rocks,
Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals.”
The verse that really attracts me to this poem is “Melodious birds sing madrigals”. The birds sing to melodious tones to invite people. The birds mostly sing in the season of spring so to woo his lover the Sheppard only discusses the season of spring throughout the poem. He does so because the season brings new beginnings to life. The season is meant to represent fresh starts.
The idyll poetry is very refreshing since one gets the natural images of the world rather than artificial world created all around us. We are unable to see the natural beauty that surrounds us because we are so busy in our urban lives that we forget about the country side.