To a Lady That Requested Me to Show Affection
Since you've granted me consent to love,
What will you do?
Shall I your mirth, or ardor stir,
Once I begin to pursue;
Do you distress, or scorn, or adore me too?
Each petty grace can scorn, and I
Despite your dislike
Absent your consent can observe, and succumb;
Bestow a loftier Lot!
’Tis easy to ruin, you could form.
Therefore allow me permission to love, & adore me too
Not with purpose
To raise, as Love's cursed rebels do
While puling Versifiers moan,
Fame to their grace, from their tearful eyne.
Grief is a pond and reflects not bright
One's grace's beams;
Joyes are untainted streams, your gaze seem
Sullen in gloomier verses,
In joyful lines they radiate bright with acclaim.
Which shall not refer to describe you fair
Harms, fires, and arrows,
Storms in your forehead, snares in your hayr,
Suborning all your features,
Or to deceive, or torment captive affections.
I will render your eyes like sunrise stars appear,
As soft, and fair;
Your forehead as Crystall even, and transparent,
While your tousled locks
Will flow like a tranquil Region of the Air.
Wealthy The natural world's hoard (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I shall use, to adorn
Thy beauties, if your Source of Delight
Through matching gratitude
You but release, so we each other grace.
Delving into the Work's Motifs
The composition explores the interplay of love and acclaim, where the narrator engages with a maiden who seeks his affection. Rather, he offers a mutual arrangement of poetic praise for personal favors. This language is elegant, blending courtly norms with candid statements of desire.
Through the lines, the writer rejects usual themes of unrequited love, like sadness and weeping, claiming they cloud true grace. The speaker chooses delight and praise to emphasize the lady's features, promising to render her eyes as shining stars and her tresses as streaming breeze. This approach underscores a practical yet artful perspective on relationships.
Significant Components of the Piece
- Reciprocal Exchange: The poem revolves on a suggestion of praise in return for enjoyment, stressing parity between the parties.
- Dismissal of Traditional Themes: The poet disparages usual artistic techniques like sadness and imagery of suffering, choosing optimistic descriptions.
- Artistic Skill: The application of mixed meter lengths and cadence demonstrates the author's mastery in verse, forming a graceful and captivating experience.
Wealthy Nature’s treasury (which is the Poet’s Riches)
I shall spend, to dress
One's beauties, if your Mine of Joy
Through equall appreciation
One but release, so we mutually favor.
The verse summarizes the essential arrangement, in which the author promises to employ his artistic talents to honor the woman, as compensation for her willingness. The wording combines pious overtones with worldly desires, giving profundity to the work's meaning.