The speaker calls out to anyone who would enjoy lying under a tree, singing along with the birds. It’s a cheerful, carefree invitation to leave behind ambition and the stress of striving for more. He promises that in this natural, unhurried life, the only real hardship is the change of seasons — winter and rough weather — not the backstabbing or rivalry found in courts or cities. The mood is warm and playful, almost like a folk song, with its repeated “Come hither” and rhyming lines. Shakespeare contrasts a life lived “in the sun,” satisfied with simple food and simple pleasures, with the exhausting pursuit of status. The speaker feels deeply content, and his joy is infectious; you can almost hear the birdsong and feel the shade of the greenwood tree.
Under the Greenwood Tree — Summary
Under the greenwood tree Who loves to lie with me, And turn his merry note Unto the sweet bird's throat, Come hither, come hither, come hither: Here shall he see No enemy But winter and rough weather.
Who doth ambition shun, And loves to live i' the sun, Seeking the food he eats, And pleas'd with what he gets, Come hither, come hither, come hither: Here shall he see No enemy But winter and rough weather.