For a Lady Who Wished I Would Show Affection
Now you have bestowed me consent to love,
What shall you respond?
Will I your mirth, or ardor arouse,
As I begin to woo;
Do you trouble, or mock, or adore me too?
All trivial charm can reject, and I
Spight of your hate
Absent your leave can observe, and die;
Bestow a loftier Destiny!
’Tis easy to demolish, you may fashion.
Thus grant me consent to cherish, & cherish me too
Not with intent
To raise, as Love's cursed insurgents act
As complaining Poets whine,
Acclaim to their grace, from their tearful eyne.
Sorrow is a pond and reflects not bright
Thy grace's rayes;
Joys are untainted streames, your eyes seem
Gloomy in gloomier verses,
Within joyful lines they shine bright with prayse.
What will not mention to express you fayr
Injuries, blazes, and shafts,
Gales in your brow, nets in your hair,
Bribing all your parts,
Either to deceive, or torture ensnared souls.
I’ll cause your eyes like sunrise stars look,
As gentle, and lovely;
One's forehead as crystal smooth, and pure,
While your dishevelled hair
May stream like a serene Zone of the Air.
Abundant Nature's store (which is the Writer's Riches)
I will use, to dress
Your graces, if your Mine of Pleasure
With equal appreciation
One but release, so we each other bless.
Examining the Work's Ideas
This composition delves the relationship of passion and acclaim, where the speaker addresses a maiden who seeks his affection. Instead, he proposes a reciprocal agreement of literary admiration for personal favors. The phraseology is elegant, mixing refined conventions with direct expressions of longing.
Within the stanzas, the author rejects typical tropes of one-sided passion, such as sorrow and tears, stating they obscure true grace. The speaker favors delight and praise to showcase the woman's features, assuring to render her vision as shining orbs and her tresses as drifting breeze. The technique underscores a pragmatic yet clever view on bonds.
Important Elements of the Composition
- Shared Arrangement: The poem revolves on a proposal of admiration in return for pleasure, emphasizing equality between the individuals.
- Spurning of Conventional Ideas: The poet condemns common poetic techniques like grief and metaphors of pain, choosing optimistic imagery.
- Artistic Artistry: The employment of varied meter measures and cadence displays the author's expertise in verse, producing a graceful and captivating text.
Abundant The natural world's store (which is the Bard's Wealth)
I’l use, to dress
One's charms, if your Wellspring of Pleasure
In equall appreciation
One but release, so we mutually bless.
The section encapsulates the central bargain, where the poet vows to use his artistic gifts to celebrate the lady, in return for her willingness. The language mixes spiritual hints with earthly yearnings, adding profundity to the verse's meaning.