Definition:
It is described as a "literary work dealing in a usually artificial manner with shepherds or rural life (...)" ("Encyclopædia Britannica"). In other words, it is about farmers and idyllic natural world.
There are 3 signs of pastoral work ("Poetry 101"):
it is about the relationship between a human and nature
typically narrated by a shepherd
idealizes a simply country life
Examples:
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love by Christopher Marlowe
A Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd by Sir Walter Raleigh
The Bait by John Donne
Sources:
“Pastoral.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 12 Nov. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/summary/pastoral-literature.
Wikipedia contributors. “Pastoral.” Wikipedia, 30 Oct. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastoral.
“Pastoral.” Wikipedia, 16 Nov. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastoral#/media/File:Pastoral_Landscape_by_Alvan_Fisher,_1854.jpg.
"Poetry 101: What Is a Pastoral Poem? Learn About the Conventions and History of Pastoral Poems with Examples
." MasterClass, MasterClass, 2021, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/poetry-101-what-is-a-pastoral-poem-learn-about-the-conventions-and-history-of-pastoral-poems-with-examples.
Created by Šárka Blažková, 554055