Pastoral
Pastor
(Latin, shepherd): A poem about
shepherds and the rustic life.
Bucolic
(Greek, cow): Rustic poetry in
general.
Theocritus
(fl. 270 B. C.): Idylls (a
little picture; a short poem descriptive of a scene); descriptions of the
Sicilian countryside.
Virgil
(70-19 B.C.): Eclogues. His earliest published work; 10 poems imitating the
idylls of Theocritus.
Three
Types
1. Dialogue or singing match between 2 shepherds; an eclogue.
2. Monologue or complaint of the forlorn lover.
3. Elegy or lament for a dead friend.
Pastoral
broad: Anything with a rural setting.
Pastoral
narrow: One of the three types.