For a Lady That Desired Me to Love Her
Since you've freely given me permission to love,
What will you do?
Am I to your mirth, or ardor stir,
Once I commence woo;
Do you torment, or mock, or cherish me too?
All trivial beauty can scorn, and I
Despite your hate
Lacking your leave can observe, and perish;
Grant a grander Destiny!
It is effortless to ruin, you may form.
Thus grant me consent to cherish, & cherish me too
Not with design
To raise, as Loves cursed rebels act
While whining Bards moan,
Acclaim to their grace, from their blubber’d gaze.
Sadness is a pool and mirrors not clear
Thy charm's beams;
Joyes are clear currents, your eyes appear
Sullen in gloomier layes,
Within cheerfull numbers they shine brilliant with prayse.
What may not mention to portray you lovely
Injuries, flames, and darts,
Gales in your countenance, snares in your locks,
Suborning all your parts,
Or to trick, or torment captive affections.
I shall make your vision like dawn orbs appear,
Like gentle, and lovely;
Thy brow as glass polished, and transparent,
Whereas your tousled locks
Shall stream like a tranquil Area of the Ayr.
Rich Nature’s store (which is the Writer's Wealth)
I’l expend, to dress
One's beauties, if your Mine of Delight
With equal appreciation
You but unlock, so we each other bless.
Exploring the Work's Ideas
This work delves the dynamics of passion and praise, as the poet speaks to a woman who desires his love. Instead, he proposes a mutual exchange of poetic praise for intimate delights. The wording is graceful, combining refined conventions with direct expressions of yearning.
Through the stanzas, the writer rejects typical themes of unreturned love, such as grief and weeping, claiming they cloud true charm. The speaker chooses joy and praise to emphasize the woman's qualities, assuring to portray her vision as radiant orbs and her hair as flowing atmosphere. The approach highlights a realistic yet clever perspective on connections.
Important Elements of the Piece
- Mutual Arrangement: The verse focuses on a suggestion of admiration in trade for enjoyment, emphasizing parity between the persons.
- Rejection of Standard Themes: The speaker disparages common literary devices like sorrow and similes of anguish, favoring optimistic imagery.
- Creative Skill: The employment of mixed meter measures and cadence demonstrates the author's mastery in composition, creating a fluid and engaging text.
Abundant Nature’s hoard (which is the Writer's Wealth)
I’l spend, to embellish
Thy charms, if your Mine of Joy
In matching thankfulness
You but release, so we one another bless.
The stanza encapsulates the essential deal, in which the poet promises to utilize his creative gifts to celebrate the lady, in exchange for her openness. This language blends pious hints with earthly yearnings, giving complexity to the verse's meaning.