For a Lady That Requested Me to Love Her
Given that you freely given me consent to love,
What shall you do?
Will I your delight, or emotion stir,
Once I begin to pursue;
Do you trouble, or mock, or love me too?
Each petty beauty can disdain, and I
Spight of your aversion
Lacking your leave can perceive, and perish;
Bestow a loftier Fate!
It is effortless to destroy, you can fashion.
Thus grant me consent to love, & adore me too
Without design
To uplift, as Affection's damned insurgents do
When complaining Bards moan,
Renown to their grace, from their weeping eyes.
Sadness is a pool and reflects not bright
Your charm's rayes;
Joyes are untainted currents, your vision seem
Morose in gloomier verses,
Through cheerfull numbers they radiate bright with acclaim.
Which shall not refer to portray you fair
Harms, blazes, and arrows,
Storms in your brow, nets in your hayr,
Suborning all your parts,
Or else to trick, or torment ensnared hearts.
I will cause your vision like dawn stars appear,
Just as soft, and lovely;
Thy countenance as glass smooth, and pure,
Whereas your unkempt hayr
May flow like a tranquil Area of the Air.
Rich Nature's store (which is the Writer's Riches)
I’l spend, to dress
Thy charms, if your Wellspring of Delight
Through matching appreciation
You but release, so we mutually bless.
Examining the Poem's Ideas
The composition explores the interplay of passion and admiration, as the narrator speaks to a maiden who requests his devotion. Conversely, he proposes a shared exchange of artistic admiration for intimate delights. The phraseology is graceful, combining refined traditions with candid expressions of longing.
Within the stanzas, the poet rejects usual motifs of unrequited passion, including grief and lamentation, arguing they dim true beauty. The speaker prefers joy and praise to showcase the woman's attributes, vowing to render her eyes as radiant orbs and her locks as flowing breeze. The approach highlights a pragmatic yet artful view on relationships.
Important Aspects of the Work
- Mutual Exchange: The poem revolves on a offer of praise in trade for pleasure, emphasizing balance between the parties.
- Spurning of Conventional Themes: The poet condemns common poetic devices like grief and similes of anguish, favoring positive descriptions.
- Artistic Artistry: The use of mixed verse lengths and rhythm demonstrates the author's mastery in composition, forming a smooth and captivating experience.
Rich Nature's treasury (which is the Poet’s Riches)
I will use, to adorn
One's graces, if your Wellspring of Delight
In equal thankfulness
You but open, so we one another grace.
The section captures the core deal, in which the writer vows to use his creative abilities to honor the lady, in exchange for her receptiveness. This language combines devout overtones with worldly longings, giving complexity to the poem's theme.