The nymph maps human emotion onto the seasons in order to show that love changes over time. Spring is often used in poetry to refer to youth and coming of age; Fall, to middle age or adulthood. The nymph claims that while young lovers have honey tongues and fancy each other, over time the love fades and creates sorrow. Notice how the nymph uses poetic metaphors to refute the shepherd’s poetic claims; she repurposes his words to disprove him.
