Hero and Leander

“The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” by Christopher Marlowe (1599)

This pastoral lyric was not published until six years after Marlowe’s death. It begins with the famous line, “Come live with me and be my love” (Line 1), and the poem soon became a popular song. The shepherd woos his love with an idyllic picture of how they will enjoy all the pleasures that an ideal country setting can provide. They will sit on the rocks and listen to bird song; he will make her beds of roses and delightful wool clothing, including slippers with gold buckles, and a belt made of coral and amber. The other shepherds will dance and sing for her on May mornings. Although the beloved girl does not appear in the poem, unlike Hero and Leander there seem to be no dark clouds on the horizon for this rustic couple.

“Was this the face that launch’d a thousand ships” by Christopher Marlowe (published 1604)

“Was this the face that launch’d a thousand ships / and burnt the topless towers of Ilium?” (Lines 1-2) may be the most famous lines Marlowe ever wrote. The “face” (Line 1) is that of Helen of Troy, and the “thousand ships” (Line 1) were launched by the Greeks, which resulted in the Trojan War.