Far from the city are calming lands of green
There the shepherd lives in his quiet dreams
Just he and the sheep share a life meant to be
His family share a house away from humanity
He has the song of the birds as they fly above
The scenery extends for miles - a picture to love
He holds the flock safe from any marauders
His sheep dog guides them with certain orders
His boss is in his heart, remembered each day
For the great gift of love ~ a heavenly display
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Life in the city is noisy and so very diverse
Muggers can often be after your purse
The fields are long gone, the view restricted
The streets overcrowded, morale not uplifted
Stress of a boss, who's driven to earn money
Long hours commuting, which aren't very funny
Surreal vistas truncated by buildings, not trees
The comparison to rural life brings me 'dis-ease'
The CEO in business puts pressure to perform
Or else jobs will be lost, leaving people forlorn
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Author Notes
Pastoral poetry in brief
Characteristics
Pastoral poetry is a very ancient genre of poetry.
It deals with the loves and lives of shepherds and shepherdesses, and other such country folk. They live far from towns, and spend their lives singing, sometimes mourning the loss of a sheep or a fellow shepherd or a love affair that has gone wrong.
The countryside is idealized, since writers of the genre are usually city people.
It is simple and the poetic expression uses a set of conventions that has varied little over the centuries.
Sometimes, it is used symbolically. Often the shepherd is a poet; his songs become his poetry.
A typical theme is the corruption of city life, and, through this theme, political statements are sometimes made.
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