Addressing a Lady Who Desired I Would Show Affection
Now you have bestowed me leave to love,
What shall you respond?
Am I to your mirth, or emotion move,
When I commence pursue;
Will you torment, or disdain, or love me too?
Each petty beauty can reject, and I
Despite your hate
Without your consent can perceive, and perish;
Grant a nobler Fate!
It is effortless to demolish, you may form.
Then grant me leave to adore, & love me too
Not with purpose
To elevate, as Affection's cursed rebels behave
While complaining Bards moan,
Renown to their charm, from their weeping eyne.
Sorrow is a pond and mirrors not clear
Thy beauty’s lights;
Joys are untainted currents, your vision look
Gloomy in more sorrowful songs,
Through joyful numbers they radiate luminous with acclaim.
Which shall not mention to describe you lovely
Wounds, fires, and arrows,
Storms in your countenance, nets in your hayr,
Bribing all your attributes,
Or to betray, or afflict ensnared hearts.
I shall cause your eyes like sunrise suns look,
Like gentle, and fayr;
One's brow as Crystall smooth, and transparent,
And your unkempt hair
Will stream like a serene Zone of the Air.
Wealthy The natural world's store (which is the Writer's Wealth)
I will use, to dress
One's charms, if your Source of Delight
In equal thankfulness
You but release, so we mutually grace.
Examining the Verse's Ideas
This composition delves the relationship of love and acclaim, where the narrator speaks to a woman who desires his devotion. Conversely, he suggests a reciprocal arrangement of artistic admiration for personal pleasures. The phraseology is graceful, mixing refined traditions with candid statements of longing.
In the stanzas, the author dismisses typical tropes of one-sided love, such as grief and tears, stating they obscure true beauty. The speaker prefers delight and admiration to emphasize the woman's qualities, vowing to render her vision as radiant stars and her tresses as flowing air. The technique underscores a pragmatic yet clever view on relationships.
Key Elements of the Work
- Mutual Exchange: The poem centers on a proposal of tribute in return for pleasure, stressing parity between the individuals.
- Spurning of Traditional Themes: The speaker disparages common poetic techniques like grief and similes of suffering, favoring upbeat descriptions.
- Poetic Artistry: The application of mixed verse measures and cadence displays the poet's proficiency in poetry, creating a graceful and captivating read.
Wealthy Nature's store (which is the Bard's Riches)
I will expend, to dress
One's graces, if your Wellspring of Delight
In equall gratitude
You but unlock, so we each other grace.
The stanza captures the central bargain, where the author pledges to use his inventive abilities to celebrate the woman, in exchange for her receptiveness. The wording combines devout undertones with physical longings, giving depth to the poem's meaning.