Addressing a Lady That Wished Me to Love Her
Since you've bestowed me leave to love,
How will you act?
Will I your mirth, or passion move,
As I begin to pursue;
Will you trouble, or disdain, or adore me too?
Every minor grace can disdain, and I
Spight of your aversion
Without your permission can observe, and perish;
Dispense a loftier Destiny!
It is effortless to demolish, you could create.
Therefore allow me leave to love, & love me too
Without intent
To uplift, as Love's damned insurgents act
While whining Versifiers moan,
Renown to their beauty, from their weeping eyne.
Sadness is a puddle and shows not clear
Your grace's rayes;
Joys are untainted streams, your vision appear
Morose in more sorrowful songs,
Within cheerfull lines they radiate luminous with acclaim.
Which may not allude to portray you fair
Injuries, blazes, and darts,
Storms in your countenance, nets in your hair,
Suborning all your attributes,
Either to trick, or torture trapped souls.
I will cause your eyes like morning stars appear,
Like soft, and fayr;
Thy brow as crystal even, and transparent,
While your tousled hayr
May stream like a calm Zone of the Ayr.
Abundant The natural world's store (which is the Bard's Treasure)
I’l expend, to adorn
One's charms, if your Wellspring of Pleasure
In matching appreciation
Thou but open, so we one another grace.
Delving into the Verse's Themes
This work delves the dynamics of love and admiration, where the narrator engages with a maiden who desires his devotion. Instead, he offers a reciprocal exchange of poetic admiration for intimate pleasures. The wording is elegant, mixing courtly traditions with frank statements of desire.
Within the lines, the author rejects typical tropes of unrequited affection, like grief and weeping, claiming they obscure true beauty. The speaker favors delight and admiration to highlight the maiden's features, assuring to portray her gaze as shining stars and her tresses as drifting atmosphere. This approach emphasizes a realistic yet skillful view on bonds.
Significant Elements of the Piece
- Reciprocal Agreement: The poem focuses on a suggestion of admiration in return for delight, stressing parity between the individuals.
- Rejection of Standard Themes: The speaker disparages usual poetic techniques like grief and similes of suffering, favoring positive descriptions.
- Poetic Skill: The employment of varied meter lengths and cadence displays the author's expertise in poetry, forming a graceful and engaging experience.
Rich The natural world's store (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I shall spend, to dress
One's charms, if your Wellspring of Delight
In equall appreciation
Thou but release, so we each other grace.
The stanza summarizes the core bargain, as the poet pledges to utilize his creative gifts to praise the lady, in exchange for her openness. The phraseology blends pious overtones with worldly longings, providing depth to the poem's meaning.