Addressing a Lady Who Desired I Would Show Affection

Since you've freely given me leave to love,
What will you act?
Am I to your joy, or emotion arouse,
When I begin to woo;
Shall you distress, or scorn, or love me too?

Every minor charm can scorn, and I
Spight of your hate
Lacking your leave can see, and succumb;
Bestow a grander Lot!
It is effortless to demolish, you can form.

Therefore grant me consent to love, & adore me too
Lacking purpose
To elevate, as Affection's accursed insurgents act
While whining Versifiers whine,
Renown to their charm, from their weeping eyes.

Sorrow is a puddle and mirrors not clear
Thy beauty’s beams;
Joys are clear currents, your eyes look
Sullen in gloomier verses,
In joyful numbers they radiate bright with prayse.

Which may not mention to portray you fair
Wounds, flames, and arrows,
Tempests in your brow, traps in your hair,
Suborning all your features,
Or else to trick, or torture captive souls.

I shall cause your eyes like dawn orbs seem,
Like gentle, and fair;
Your countenance as glass smooth, and clear,
While your unkempt hayr
Will drift like a serene Region of the Ayr.

Wealthy The natural world's treasury (which is the Poet’s Riches)
I shall expend, to adorn
One's graces, if your Mine of Pleasure
Through matching gratitude
One but release, so we one another bless.

Exploring the Poem's Themes

The piece explores the dynamics of passion and praise, as the poet engages with a woman who requests his devotion. Rather, he offers a reciprocal arrangement of artistic admiration for personal favors. This phraseology is graceful, blending refined traditions with direct utterances of desire.

Within the lines, the author rejects typical tropes of unrequited love, including grief and weeping, stating they obscure true grace. He favors joy and praise to emphasize the maiden's qualities, promising to portray her vision as bright orbs and her locks as drifting breeze. The technique underscores a realistic yet artful outlook on bonds.

Important Components of the Composition

  • Mutual Agreement: The work focuses on a proposal of praise in exchange for delight, emphasizing parity between the individuals.
  • Spurning of Standard Ideas: The speaker condemns typical poetic devices like sorrow and metaphors of suffering, choosing optimistic imagery.
  • Creative Craftsmanship: The application of mixed line measures and cadence showcases the poet's proficiency in poetry, creating a smooth and engaging text.
Abundant Nature's store (which is the Writer's Riches)
I shall spend, to embellish
Your charms, if your Wellspring of Joy
With equal gratitude
One but release, so we mutually bless.

This stanza summarizes the central arrangement, in which the poet pledges to use his artistic gifts to celebrate the lady, in exchange for her openness. This language blends spiritual undertones with earthly longings, adding profundity to the verse's meaning.

Stephanie Simmons
Stephanie Simmons

A productivity enthusiast and tech writer with a passion for helping others organize their thoughts and achieve more.