To a Lady That Requested I Would Love Her
Given that you granted me permission to love,
What will you do?
Will I your mirth, or passion move,
As I start to court;
Do you distress, or mock, or love me too?
Every minor beauty can reject, and I
Despite your hate
Lacking your permission can observe, and succumb;
Bestow a nobler Lot!
’Tis easy to destroy, you can form.
Thus grant me consent to cherish, & love me too
Without design
To uplift, as Love's cursed defiers do
As puling Poets whine,
Renown to their beauty, from their tearful gaze.
Sadness is a pool and mirrors not clear
Thy beauty’s beams;
Delights are clear streames, your eyes appear
Morose in gloomier songs,
Through cheerfull lines they gleam luminous with acclaim.
What shall not refer to describe you fair
Wounds, fires, and darts,
Tempests in your brow, nets in your hayr,
Suborning all your features,
Either to deceive, or torture ensnared affections.
I shall cause your vision like morning suns appear,
Like mild, and fair;
Your countenance as Crystall smooth, and pure,
And your tousled hair
May stream like a tranquil Area of the Ayr.
Rich The natural world's store (which is the Poet’s Treasure)
I will expend, to adorn
Thy charms, if your Wellspring of Pleasure
In equall gratitude
One but open, so we each other favor.
Examining the Poem's Motifs
The work delves the relationship of affection and praise, as the narrator addresses a woman who seeks his devotion. Instead, he proposes a reciprocal arrangement of literary admiration for intimate delights. This wording is refined, combining polished norms with direct statements of yearning.
In the verses, the writer dismisses common motifs of unreturned passion, such as grief and weeping, claiming they cloud true grace. The speaker prefers joy and praise to showcase the woman's features, promising to depict her gaze as shining suns and her locks as drifting breeze. The technique emphasizes a realistic yet artful perspective on bonds.
Important Aspects of the Composition
- Reciprocal Arrangement: The work revolves on a proposal of tribute in return for delight, stressing equality between the individuals.
- Dismissal of Traditional Themes: The narrator condemns typical poetic devices like sorrow and metaphors of anguish, preferring positive imagery.
- Poetic Artistry: The application of diverse meter measures and flow demonstrates the poet's proficiency in poetry, creating a smooth and compelling text.
Rich Nature’s treasury (which is the Bard's Wealth)
I’l use, to adorn
Your graces, if your Source of Delight
With equal appreciation
You but release, so we mutually grace.
The section encapsulates the central deal, where the author vows to employ his artistic gifts to honor the maiden, as compensation for her openness. The language blends spiritual undertones with earthly longings, giving depth to the verse's message.