Love and Desire

Unrequited love and passionate longing dominate several eclogues, such as Corydon's hopeless pursuit of Alexis in Pastoral II and Gallus's despair over Lycoris in Pastoral X, often expressed through pastoral imagery and lament.

Corydon's intense but unreciprocated love for Alexis drives the entire eclogue, exploring the pain and futility of desire.

Both singers express longing for their beloveds—Damoetas for Phyllis, Menalcas for Amyntas—and describe the pains and pleasures of love.

Both Corydon and Thyrsis sing of their beloveds—Galatea, Alexis, Phyllis, Lycidas—tying desire to the natural world.

Both songs explore the extremes of love: Damon's despair at rejection and the enchantress's desperate use of magic to reclaim her beloved.