For a Lady Who Wished I Would Show Affection
Since you've granted me permission to love,
What will you act?
Shall I your delight, or emotion stir,
When I begin to court;
Do you torment, or disdain, or love me too?
Each petty beauty can disdain, and I
Despite your aversion
Without your permission can observe, and perish;
Dispense a nobler Destiny!
’Tis easy to demolish, you may create.
Therefore allow me leave to adore, & cherish me too
Lacking design
To raise, as Affection's accursed defiers do
While puling Poets whine,
Fame to their beauty, from their tearful gaze.
Grief is a pond and reflects not bright
Your charm's lights;
Delights are pure currents, your vision seem
Sullen in more sorrowful songs,
Through happy verses they gleam luminous with prayse.
Which shall not mention to describe you lovely
Wounds, blazes, and shafts,
Tempests in your forehead, snares in your hair,
Corrupting all your features,
Or to trick, or torture ensnared souls.
I’ll render your gaze like morning stars appear,
Just as mild, and fayr;
Your countenance as glass smooth, and transparent,
And your tousled locks
May stream like a serene Area of the Atmosphere.
Wealthy Nature’s treasury (which is the Bard's Treasure)
I’l expend, to dress
Your graces, if your Mine of Pleasure
In matching gratitude
Thou but open, so we mutually favor.
Delving into the Poem's Themes
The work examines the dynamics of love and admiration, where the poet addresses a woman who requests his devotion. Instead, he suggests a shared exchange of literary tribute for personal pleasures. The phraseology is elegant, combining polished conventions with candid statements of desire.
In the verses, the poet dismisses common themes of unrequited passion, such as grief and lamentation, stating they obscure true beauty. He chooses delight and admiration to highlight the woman's qualities, assuring to depict her eyes as radiant suns and her hair as drifting breeze. The approach underscores a pragmatic yet artful view on bonds.
Significant Aspects of the Work
- Reciprocal Exchange: The poem focuses on a proposal of admiration in trade for delight, highlighting balance between the individuals.
- Dismissal of Standard Ideas: The narrator disparages typical literary tools like sadness and similes of anguish, preferring upbeat depictions.
- Artistic Craftsmanship: The use of varied line lengths and rhythm displays the writer's mastery in composition, forming a fluid and engaging text.
Wealthy Nature's treasury (which is the Poet’s Treasure)
I will use, to adorn
One's graces, if your Wellspring of Delight
Through matching appreciation
You but unlock, so we one another grace.
This verse captures the core bargain, in which the poet vows to utilize his inventive abilities to celebrate the woman, as compensation for her willingness. This language blends devout overtones with worldly yearnings, giving complexity to the verse's meaning.