For a Lady That Desired Me to Show Affection
Now you have bestowed me permission to love,
How will you act?
Will I your joy, or ardor arouse,
When I begin to pursue;
Do you trouble, or mock, or adore me too?
All trivial charm can scorn, and I
Spight of your dislike
Lacking your leave can see, and perish;
Bestow a loftier Fate!
’Tis easy to ruin, you could fashion.
Then grant me consent to adore, & love me too
Lacking design
To raise, as Love's damned insurgents behave
When complaining Poets moan,
Fame to their charm, from their tearful eyne.
Sorrow is a pool and reflects not bright
Your grace's rayes;
Joys are clear currents, your gaze look
Morose in more sorrowful layes,
Within joyful lines they shine brilliant with prayse.
Which will not refer to express you lovely
Wounds, blazes, and arrows,
Tempests in your brow, nets in your locks,
Bribing all your parts,
Either to trick, or torture ensnared affections.
I will cause your vision like morning suns look,
As mild, and fayr;
Your countenance as crystal smooth, and pure,
Whereas your tousled locks
Shall stream like a tranquil Area of the Ayr.
Wealthy Nature's treasury (which is the Writer's Wealth)
I shall spend, to adorn
Thy charms, if your Source of Pleasure
With equall appreciation
Thou but unlock, so we each other grace.
Exploring the Verse's Motifs
This composition examines the relationship of affection and admiration, where the narrator addresses a woman who requests his love. Rather, he suggests a mutual agreement of artistic admiration for private pleasures. The wording is graceful, mixing polished traditions with candid statements of desire.
Within the verses, the poet spurns typical tropes of unrequited affection, including grief and tears, arguing they obscure true charm. He favors joy and praise to showcase the maiden's attributes, vowing to render her vision as bright stars and her tresses as streaming atmosphere. The technique emphasizes a pragmatic yet artful outlook on relationships.
Significant Aspects of the Piece
- Shared Arrangement: The work revolves on a proposal of tribute in trade for pleasure, emphasizing balance between the individuals.
- Dismissal of Traditional Ideas: The speaker condemns usual literary devices like sadness and imagery of suffering, favoring upbeat depictions.
- Creative Skill: The employment of mixed meter patterns and rhythm displays the writer's proficiency in poetry, creating a graceful and compelling experience.
Wealthy Nature’s hoard (which is the Poet’s Treasure)
I will use, to dress
Thy charms, if your Source of Joy
In equall appreciation
One but unlock, so we mutually bless.
This verse encapsulates the essential arrangement, in which the writer pledges to employ his creative abilities to honor the woman, as compensation for her openness. The phraseology combines pious overtones with earthly desires, giving profundity to the poem's message.