Addressing a Lady Who Wished I Would Show Affection
Now you have bestowed me permission to love,
How will you do?
Will I your mirth, or passion arouse,
When I start to pursue;
Shall you torment, or mock, or adore me too?
All trivial beauty can scorn, and I
Despite your dislike
Absent your permission can see, and succumb;
Bestow a nobler Fate!
It's simple to demolish, you may form.
Then allow me leave to adore, & adore me too
Not with intent
To uplift, as Affection's cursed rebels act
While complaining Versifiers lament,
Fame to their grace, from their tearful eyes.
Grief is a pool and mirrors not bright
Thy charm's rayes;
Delights are pure streames, your gaze look
Morose in gloomier layes,
Through joyful verses they shine luminous with acclaim.
What shall not refer to portray you fayr
Harms, fires, and arrows,
Tempests in your brow, snares in your hayr,
Suborning all your features,
Or else to deceive, or torture captive souls.
I will make your eyes like sunrise orbs seem,
Just as gentle, and fayr;
Your forehead as Crystall even, and transparent,
And your dishevelled locks
Will flow like a serene Area of the Air.
Wealthy The natural world's hoard (which is the Bard's Treasure)
I’l use, to embellish
One's graces, if your Wellspring of Delight
With equall gratitude
One but unlock, so we each other favor.
Examining the Poem's Motifs
This work examines the relationship of passion and admiration, where the speaker engages with a maiden who requests his devotion. Conversely, he proposes a shared arrangement of literary admiration for intimate favors. This wording is elegant, combining refined traditions with direct expressions of yearning.
In the verses, the poet rejects typical tropes of one-sided passion, like sorrow and tears, claiming they cloud true charm. The speaker favors delight and acclaim to showcase the maiden's attributes, assuring to depict her vision as bright suns and her locks as streaming breeze. The method emphasizes a realistic yet skillful view on bonds.
Key Components of the Piece
- Reciprocal Exchange: The verse centers on a proposal of praise in trade for enjoyment, highlighting balance between the individuals.
- Dismissal of Standard Ideas: The speaker disparages usual artistic techniques like sadness and imagery of anguish, preferring optimistic imagery.
- Poetic Craftsmanship: The employment of mixed meter patterns and cadence displays the writer's proficiency in poetry, producing a fluid and compelling read.
Rich The natural world's hoard (which is the Poet’s Treasure)
I will spend, to adorn
Your charms, if your Mine of Delight
With matching appreciation
You but open, so we mutually favor.
This stanza captures the central arrangement, in which the poet vows to utilize his artistic talents to celebrate the maiden, in return for her openness. This wording combines devout overtones with physical desires, giving depth to the poem's theme.