Addressing a Lady That Requested I Would Show Affection
Since you've bestowed me permission to love,
What will you do?
Will I your joy, or passion move,
As I commence pursue;
Shall you torment, or scorn, or cherish me too?
Every minor beauty can scorn, and I
Spight of your aversion
Lacking your consent can perceive, and succumb;
Dispense a loftier Destiny!
It is effortless to ruin, you may fashion.
Then grant me permission to love, & adore me too
Without purpose
To uplift, as Loves damned defiers act
When puling Poets moan,
Renown to their charm, from their tearful gaze.
Sadness is a pool and shows not clear
Thy beauty’s rayes;
Joys are clear streams, your eyes appear
Morose in gloomier layes,
In joyful lines they shine brilliant with prayse.
Which may not mention to describe you fair
Harms, fires, and darts,
Storms in your countenance, snares in your hayr,
Bribing all your parts,
Or else to trick, or afflict trapped hearts.
I shall cause your gaze like sunrise suns seem,
As mild, and fayr;
Your countenance as crystal even, and clear,
And your unkempt locks
May stream like a tranquil Area of the Atmosphere.
Abundant Nature’s store (which is the Poet’s Treasure)
I shall use, to embellish
Thy beauties, if your Source of Delight
With matching appreciation
Thou but open, so we each other bless.
Exploring the Poem's Motifs
The work examines the dynamics of passion and praise, in which the poet addresses a lady who desires his love. Conversely, he suggests a reciprocal exchange of poetic tribute for intimate favors. This language is elegant, mixing courtly traditions with candid statements of longing.
In the lines, the poet rejects common motifs of one-sided love, including grief and weeping, arguing they cloud true charm. He favors delight and praise to showcase the woman's features, vowing to depict her vision as shining suns and her tresses as streaming breeze. This method underscores a realistic yet artful perspective on connections.
Important Elements of the Work
- Mutual Arrangement: The poem centers on a proposal of admiration in return for delight, stressing equality between the parties.
- Rejection of Conventional Motifs: The poet condemns typical artistic techniques like grief and metaphors of anguish, choosing positive depictions.
- Poetic Craftsmanship: The use of diverse verse measures and cadence displays the author's proficiency in composition, producing a graceful and captivating text.
Abundant Nature’s hoard (which is the Writer's Riches)
I’l expend, to adorn
One's beauties, if your Wellspring of Delight
In matching thankfulness
Thou but release, so we one another grace.
The stanza encapsulates the essential arrangement, where the author pledges to use his inventive abilities to praise the woman, in exchange for her openness. This phraseology blends devout hints with physical desires, providing profundity to the work's meaning.