To a Lady Who Desired Me to Show Affection
Since you've granted me permission to love,
What shall you act?
Am I to your delight, or emotion move,
As I commence pursue;
Shall you trouble, or disdain, or adore me too?
Every minor charm can reject, and I
Spight of your dislike
Absent your leave can see, and perish;
Dispense a nobler Fate!
It's simple to demolish, you may form.
Thus grant me consent to love, & love me too
Lacking intent
To elevate, as Affection's cursed defiers act
While complaining Versifiers lament,
Renown to their grace, from their blubber’d eyes.
Sorrow is a pond and reflects not clear
Your grace's beams;
Joys are untainted currents, your gaze look
Gloomy in sadder layes,
Through cheerfull verses they radiate luminous with acclaim.
What will not mention to express you lovely
Harms, blazes, and darts,
Gales in your forehead, nets in your hayr,
Suborning all your features,
Or else to deceive, or afflict ensnared souls.
I shall make your vision like dawn stars appear,
Just as soft, and lovely;
Your brow as glass polished, and clear,
While your dishevelled hayr
May stream like a tranquil Area of the Atmosphere.
Abundant The natural world's treasury (which is the Writer's Wealth)
I shall expend, to embellish
Your charms, if your Mine of Pleasure
With equal gratitude
Thou but unlock, so we mutually favor.
Delving into the Poem's Ideas
The piece explores the relationship of passion and acclaim, in which the speaker speaks to a woman who desires his love. Conversely, he offers a shared exchange of poetic praise for intimate delights. The phraseology is graceful, mixing courtly conventions with candid statements of desire.
Within the verses, the writer dismisses usual themes of one-sided affection, such as grief and weeping, arguing they cloud true charm. He chooses delight and admiration to highlight the woman's features, assuring to render her vision as shining stars and her locks as drifting air. The method underscores a pragmatic yet skillful outlook on connections.
Key Components of the Work
- Reciprocal Exchange: The poem revolves on a suggestion of tribute in exchange for enjoyment, stressing balance between the persons.
- Rejection of Conventional Themes: The narrator disparages usual poetic devices like sadness and imagery of suffering, choosing positive imagery.
- Creative Craftsmanship: The employment of mixed meter lengths and cadence demonstrates the author's proficiency in poetry, creating a smooth and compelling experience.
Wealthy Nature’s store (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I’l expend, to dress
One's graces, if your Wellspring of Delight
With equal thankfulness
You but open, so we one another grace.
This verse summarizes the essential arrangement, in which the author pledges to employ his inventive gifts to praise the woman, in exchange for her receptiveness. This language combines pious undertones with earthly yearnings, adding complexity to the work's theme.