For a Lady Who Wished Me to Love Her
Now you have bestowed me consent to love,
What will you respond?
Will I your mirth, or passion stir,
As I start to pursue;
Do you distress, or disdain, or love me too?
All trivial charm can disdain, and I
In spite of your dislike
Absent your leave can observe, and perish;
Bestow a grander Lot!
It is effortless to ruin, you can fashion.
Then allow me leave to love, & adore me too
Not with design
To uplift, as Loves accursed rebels act
When puling Bards moan,
Renown to their charm, from their blubber’d eyes.
Grief is a pool and shows not clear
Thy beauty’s lights;
Delights are clear streams, your eyes seem
Gloomy in gloomier verses,
Within happy numbers they gleam bright with acclaim.
What may not allude to portray you fayr
Harms, flames, and shafts,
Storms in your brow, nets in your hayr,
Corrupting all your attributes,
Either to trick, or afflict trapped hearts.
I’ll cause your vision like sunrise suns look,
Like mild, and lovely;
Your forehead as Crystall smooth, and clear,
And your dishevelled hair
Shall stream like a calm Area of the Air.
Abundant The natural world's treasury (which is the Bard's Treasure)
I shall use, to dress
One's graces, if your Source of Delight
In equall thankfulness
One but open, so we mutually grace.
Delving into the Verse's Motifs
The composition explores the relationship of love and admiration, where the speaker speaks to a maiden who seeks his affection. Instead, he proposes a shared exchange of artistic praise for private pleasures. This language is graceful, combining refined traditions with candid expressions of desire.
Through the verses, the author rejects usual motifs of one-sided passion, including sorrow and lamentation, stating they obscure true grace. He favors happiness and admiration to highlight the woman's qualities, vowing to depict her eyes as bright orbs and her locks as flowing air. The approach highlights a realistic yet skillful outlook on relationships.
Key Components of the Piece
- Mutual Agreement: The verse centers on a offer of praise in exchange for pleasure, emphasizing balance between the individuals.
- Dismissal of Conventional Themes: The speaker disparages usual literary techniques like sadness and imagery of anguish, favoring upbeat depictions.
- Creative Artistry: The employment of diverse line patterns and flow demonstrates the author's mastery in poetry, producing a smooth and engaging read.
Abundant Nature's store (which is the Writer's Riches)
I will use, to adorn
One's graces, if your Source of Pleasure
Through equall gratitude
One but release, so we one another bless.
This section encapsulates the central bargain, as the poet promises to use his creative abilities to praise the lady, in return for her receptiveness. This phraseology mixes devout undertones with earthly desires, giving profundity to the work's theme.