The poem is written in iambic tetrameter, with eight syllables in each line. The last syllable of line 1 rhymes with the last syllable of line 2, the last syllable of line 3 rhyme with the last syllable of line 4 , and so on. Such pairs of rhyming lines are called couplets
The poem explores the love of shepherd for a young country girl and on the surface is a typical example of the pastoral poem. The countryside is presented as an idyllic garden of Eden where everthing is perfect. Marlowe was a city dweller and it could be said that through the poem he is extolling the simple and innocent virtues of country life. The shepherd is caught up in the rapture of love and he urges his potential partner to 'seize the day'; enjoy the moment and do not worry about the future
The interpretation of Marlowe's poem as a simple celebration of the virtues of innocent love in the countryside is not shared by critics. It can be argued that the poem has a darker, less romantic and more sexual undertone. The 'Passionate' shepherd commands the girl to share in 'pleasures' and mentions'bed' which could suggest his intentions are not as innocent as it first appears. Marlowe may be writing ironically about the romantic portrayal of life in the country which eas often presented in pastoral poem popular with rural and city dwellers.