Addressing a Lady Who Desired Me to Show Affection

Now you have bestowed me permission to love,
How will you act?
Am I to your joy, or passion arouse,
As I begin to pursue;
Will you distress, or mock, or love me too?

Each petty grace can scorn, and I
Despite your hate
Without your leave can perceive, and succumb;
Grant a grander Destiny!
It is effortless to ruin, you could form.

Therefore allow me permission to adore, & love me too
Without design
To elevate, as Love's cursed defiers do
While complaining Versifiers lament,
Fame to their charm, from their tearful eyne.

Sadness is a puddle and shows not distinct
Thy grace's lights;
Delights are pure streams, your vision seem
Morose in more sorrowful verses,
In cheerfull numbers they gleam luminous with acclaim.

What may not refer to describe you fayr
Harms, blazes, and darts,
Storms in your brow, traps in your locks,
Corrupting all your features,
Or else to deceive, or torment ensnared hearts.

I’ll make your vision like dawn orbs appear,
As mild, and fair;
Thy countenance as Crystall even, and pure,
While your unkempt hayr
Will flow like a tranquil Region of the Atmosphere.

Wealthy The natural world's store (which is the Writer's Wealth)
I’l use, to dress
One's graces, if your Mine of Pleasure
Through equall appreciation
Thou but open, so we each other bless.

Delving into the Verse's Motifs

This work delves the interplay of love and acclaim, in which the narrator speaks to a maiden who desires his affection. Instead, he offers a mutual arrangement of artistic admiration for intimate pleasures. This language is refined, blending courtly traditions with candid statements of yearning.

In the verses, the writer spurns typical themes of unreturned love, including grief and weeping, arguing they obscure true charm. He chooses joy and acclaim to showcase the lady's qualities, promising to render her gaze as radiant suns and her hair as streaming air. The method highlights a practical yet clever outlook on bonds.

Significant Components of the Piece

  • Reciprocal Arrangement: The work focuses on a offer of praise in return for pleasure, highlighting equality between the individuals.
  • Rejection of Conventional Themes: The speaker criticizes common poetic devices like sorrow and metaphors of pain, choosing positive depictions.
  • Creative Artistry: The application of mixed meter patterns and rhythm showcases the poet's mastery in verse, creating a graceful and captivating experience.
Rich Nature’s hoard (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I will expend, to dress
One's beauties, if your Mine of Joy
Through equall gratitude
Thou but open, so we mutually grace.

This verse captures the central deal, as the poet pledges to employ his inventive abilities to honor the lady, as compensation for her openness. This wording blends pious hints with worldly longings, providing depth to the verse's theme.

Kathleen Marks
Kathleen Marks

Environmental scientist and sustainability advocate passionate about sharing eco-friendly solutions.