Addressing a Lady Who Wished Me to Show Affection
Now you have bestowed me consent to love,
What shall you act?
Am I to your delight, or passion arouse,
When I commence pursue;
Shall you torment, or scorn, or cherish me too?
Each petty grace can reject, and I
Despite your dislike
Absent your permission can observe, and die;
Dispense a nobler Fate!
It is effortless to demolish, you could fashion.
Thus grant me permission to love, & love me too
Without purpose
To elevate, as Loves damned rebels behave
While complaining Versifiers lament,
Renown to their beauty, from their weeping gaze.
Sadness is a puddle and mirrors not distinct
Your charm's beams;
Delights are pure streames, your gaze look
Morose in gloomier verses,
Within happy verses they shine luminous with prayse.
Which will not mention to describe you fair
Wounds, fires, and shafts,
Gales in your brow, traps in your hayr,
Corrupting all your features,
Either to betray, or afflict captive affections.
I will render your gaze like morning orbs appear,
Just as gentle, and fair;
Your countenance as crystal polished, and transparent,
While your tousled hair
Will drift like a calm Zone of the Air.
Rich Nature's treasury (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I will spend, to adorn
One's graces, if your Mine of Delight
Through equall thankfulness
Thou but release, so we mutually grace.
Exploring the Verse's Ideas
The piece explores the relationship of affection and admiration, in which the poet engages with a maiden who seeks his devotion. Instead, he proposes a mutual arrangement of poetic tribute for personal favors. This phraseology is elegant, mixing refined norms with frank utterances of yearning.
In the verses, the writer spurns common tropes of one-sided passion, like sorrow and lamentation, claiming they obscure true grace. He chooses happiness and admiration to showcase the maiden's attributes, assuring to depict her eyes as radiant suns and her locks as drifting air. This technique highlights a practical yet clever view on relationships.
Important Elements of the Piece
- Reciprocal Agreement: The verse centers on a proposal of tribute in exchange for enjoyment, stressing equality between the parties.
- Dismissal of Standard Motifs: The speaker criticizes typical poetic techniques like sadness and similes of pain, preferring upbeat descriptions.
- Creative Skill: The use of mixed meter lengths and flow demonstrates the writer's mastery in poetry, forming a fluid and engaging text.
Rich Nature’s treasury (which is the Bard's Wealth)
I shall expend, to adorn
One's charms, if your Wellspring of Delight
With matching appreciation
One but open, so we one another favor.
This section summarizes the central arrangement, in which the writer promises to use his inventive talents to honor the woman, in exchange for her openness. This phraseology mixes spiritual undertones with physical desires, giving depth to the work's meaning.