For a Lady Who Requested I Would Show Affection
Given that you granted me permission to love,
What will you act?
Am I to your joy, or ardor move,
When I begin to court;
Will you trouble, or disdain, or cherish me too?
Each petty grace can disdain, and I
Spight of your aversion
Without your consent can perceive, and die;
Dispense a nobler Fate!
It is effortless to ruin, you could fashion.
Then give me permission to cherish, & adore me too
Not with purpose
To uplift, as Affection's cursed insurgents act
When whining Versifiers moan,
Fame to their beauty, from their weeping eyes.
Sadness is a pond and reflects not distinct
Your grace's beams;
Joys are untainted currents, your vision look
Sullen in gloomier layes,
In happy verses they radiate brilliant with praise.
That may not refer to portray you fair
Harms, fires, and arrows,
Storms in your brow, nets in your locks,
Corrupting all your parts,
Either to trick, or torture captive hearts.
I’ll make your gaze like dawn stars seem,
Just as soft, and lovely;
Your countenance as crystal polished, and transparent,
Whereas your dishevelled hayr
May stream like a calm Region of the Air.
Wealthy The natural world's store (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I will expend, to adorn
One's beauties, if your Mine of Delight
With equal appreciation
You but open, so we mutually grace.
Examining the Poem's Motifs
The composition examines the relationship of affection and admiration, where the narrator speaks to a woman who seeks his love. Rather, he proposes a shared exchange of artistic praise for personal delights. The wording is elegant, combining polished norms with candid statements of desire.
In the verses, the author rejects usual motifs of unrequited passion, like sorrow and weeping, stating they cloud true beauty. The speaker prefers joy and praise to emphasize the lady's qualities, promising to depict her vision as radiant suns and her locks as drifting breeze. The method highlights a practical yet clever outlook on bonds.
Key Aspects of the Piece
- Shared Agreement: The poem revolves on a offer of tribute in exchange for enjoyment, highlighting balance between the persons.
- Spurning of Traditional Themes: The speaker condemns typical artistic devices like sorrow and metaphors of anguish, preferring optimistic descriptions.
- Artistic Skill: The application of mixed meter lengths and flow showcases the writer's proficiency in composition, creating a smooth and engaging experience.
Wealthy Nature's store (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I shall expend, to dress
Thy charms, if your Wellspring of Delight
In equall thankfulness
Thou but open, so we one another favor.
The section summarizes the central bargain, where the writer vows to use his creative abilities to celebrate the woman, as compensation for her openness. The language combines devout hints with earthly yearnings, providing profundity to the poem's theme.