Addressing a Lady Who Desired I Would Love Her
Given that you granted me consent to love,
How will you act?
Shall I your joy, or ardor move,
As I start to woo;
Will you torment, or scorn, or adore me too?
Each petty charm can disdain, and I
Spight of your aversion
Lacking your consent can observe, and succumb;
Grant a grander Lot!
It's simple to ruin, you could fashion.
Thus allow me consent to love, & love me too
Lacking design
To uplift, as Love's cursed insurgents behave
While puling Versifiers whine,
Fame to their grace, from their weeping eyne.
Grief is a puddle and mirrors not bright
One's beauty’s lights;
Joys are clear streams, your gaze seem
Sullen in gloomier songs,
Within joyful lines they radiate bright with acclaim.
That will not allude to express you lovely
Wounds, blazes, and shafts,
Gales in your forehead, nets in your locks,
Bribing all your parts,
Either to deceive, or afflict trapped affections.
I will cause your eyes like sunrise stars appear,
Like mild, and lovely;
Thy brow as Crystall polished, and pure,
Whereas your unkempt hayr
Shall drift like a calm Area of the Air.
Rich Nature’s treasury (which is the Poet’s Treasure)
I shall spend, to adorn
Your charms, if your Wellspring of Delight
Through equal thankfulness
Thou but release, so we each other favor.
Exploring the Poem's Ideas
This piece explores the interplay of affection and praise, as the narrator engages with a maiden who requests his affection. Instead, he suggests a mutual arrangement of poetic tribute for personal pleasures. The language is refined, blending courtly traditions with candid expressions of yearning.
Through the stanzas, the poet spurns common themes of unreturned love, like grief and tears, arguing they cloud true grace. The speaker prefers happiness and praise to highlight the maiden's features, vowing to render her vision as radiant orbs and her tresses as drifting atmosphere. The method emphasizes a practical yet skillful outlook on bonds.
Important Aspects of the Piece
- Reciprocal Exchange: The verse focuses on a proposal of praise in exchange for delight, highlighting balance between the persons.
- Rejection of Traditional Motifs: The narrator disparages typical poetic devices like sadness and metaphors of suffering, favoring positive imagery.
- Artistic Craftsmanship: The employment of diverse meter patterns and flow showcases the writer's expertise in poetry, forming a graceful and engaging read.
Abundant Nature's hoard (which is the Bard's Riches)
I will expend, to dress
One's beauties, if your Wellspring of Joy
In equal gratitude
You but unlock, so we one another favor.
This stanza captures the central deal, where the writer vows to utilize his creative gifts to honor the lady, as compensation for her willingness. This phraseology blends pious hints with worldly desires, providing profundity to the work's message.