the poem I have to use is about a shepherd asking someone to be his love and live with him. He goes on to state things he'd like to give her if only she would accept his "proposal"
Could the plot be.... the temptation of the maiden to give herself in exchange for things? You have to condense the story yourself to state the plot. The plot is the gist of the story.
That should help. Thank you bobpursley
people need more lemon plegue
The plot of the poem you are working with could be summarized as the shepherd's attempt to persuade a person, presumably a maiden, to be his love and share a life with him. His proposal involves him expressing the desire to provide various things for her if she accepts his offer.
To condense the story and state the plot, you could say that the shepherd is trying to tempt the maiden by offering her material possessions and a life together. The plot revolves around his persuasive efforts to win her affection and convince her to agree to his proposal.