# XVIII explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by William Shakespeare.

## What happens

A shepherd laments the loss of his love, blaming inconstancy in women and fickle Fortune, as all joy and nature itself withers in his despair.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Desire

The shepherd's love is lost, leading to despair and a sense of betrayal by inconstancy.

### Truth and Deception

The shepherd laments that faith is denied and inconstancy is more common in women, highlighting a theme of deceptive love.

## Character check-ins

### Corydon

The speaker of the poem, a poor shepherd mourning his lost love.

### Fortune

Cursed as fickle and frowning, blamed for the shepherd's loss.

### Love

Personified as dead, causing the shepherd's grief.

## Key lines

> My flocks feed not, My ewes breed not, My rams speed not, All is amiss

My flocks do not eat, my ewes do not give birth, my rams do not thrive; everything is wrong.

_The shepherd's entire livelihood and natural order are disrupted by his emotional state._

> O frowning Fortune, cursed, fickle dame! For now I see Inconstancy More in women than in men remain.

O scowling Fortune, cursed and changeable lady! For now I see that unfaithfulness is more common in women than in men.

_The shepherd blames both Fortune and women's inconstancy for his loss._

> All our love is lost, for Love is dead.

All our love is gone, because Love itself has died.

_The shepherd declares the death of love as the cause of all his sorrow._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_28_se/chapters/xviii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_28_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_28_se/chapters