In Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love," (682-3) a shepherd offers a nymph his love. He uses many pleasing things to entice her. He offers her gifts such as "beds of roses" (9) and "fair-lined slippers" (15) in exchange for her love. It seems as if he is trying the best he can to get her to be with him by offering her many material things. "Come live with me and be my love" (1) he says. In Sir Walter Raleigh's "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" (683-4) the nymph explains to the shepherd that she wants a love that will last indefinitely, not materials things that are temporary. It is apparent in "The Nymphs Reply to the Shepherd" that the nymph feels she is too sophisticated and mature to accept what the shepherd has to offer her, and that she is willing to wait for something more serious and longer lasting.
It is evident that the nymph is a little untrusting of the shepherd's promises and that she feels he is less mature than her in the first stanza of "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd." .
If all the world and love were young,.
and truth in every shepherd's tongue,.
These pretty pleasures might me move.
to live with thee and be thy love (1-4).
When the nymph speaks of "truth in every shepherd's tongue" (2) she is suggesting the fact that the shepherd is probably not going to be able to give her what he is promising. The nymph also seems conceited in the first two lines of the poem. She is saying that even if the shepherd could really provide what he was offering she is far too sophisticated to even take the time to give him a chance. She is saying that she is not young enough to be caught up in material things. The nymph is willing to wait for someone who can offer her more. .
The nymph feels that all of the lovely things the shepherd is offering will not withstand time, they will soon wither and fade along with his love. It seems that the shepherd has much to offer the nymph.