Shepheardes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A poem depicting the lives, loves, and pastoral concerns of shepherds in an idealized rural setting
2. A literary work in the form of a dialogue or narrative about shepherds and their countryside existence
3. A poetic composition featuring shepherds as characters, typically in an idyllic or romanticized landscape

Etymology: "Shepheardes" is an antiquated spelling of "shepherds," the plural of "shepherd." English formed "shepherd" from Old English "sceaphierde," a compound of "sceap" (sheep) and "hierde" (herder, from the same root as "herd"). The word therefore means, quite literally, a sheep-herder. Edmund Spenser used the spelling deliberately in the title of his pastoral poem sequence, "The Shepheardes Calender." He added the extra vowels to make the words look older and more rustic, in keeping with the archaic tone of his verse.