To a Lady Who Requested I Would Love Her

Since you've granted me consent to love,
How will you respond?
Am I to your joy, or emotion move,
As I commence pursue;
Shall you trouble, or mock, or love me too?

Every minor grace can scorn, and I
Despite your aversion
Absent your permission can perceive, and perish;
Grant a nobler Lot!
It is effortless to destroy, you could create.

Therefore give me permission to love, & cherish me too
Lacking intent
To elevate, as Love's cursed rebels do
While puling Bards lament,
Fame to their beauty, from their tearful eyne.

Sadness is a pond and reflects not bright
Your beauty’s rayes;
Joyes are untainted streams, your gaze look
Morose in gloomier verses,
Through cheerfull lines they radiate brilliant with acclaim.

Which shall not mention to express you fayr
Wounds, fires, and arrows,
Gales in your brow, nets in your hayr,
Bribing all your parts,
Or else to betray, or torture trapped hearts.

I will render your vision like dawn orbs seem,
Like soft, and lovely;
Your countenance as crystal polished, and pure,
Whereas your unkempt hayr
May stream like a calm Region of the Air.

Abundant The natural world's treasury (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I’l expend, to dress
Your graces, if your Source of Joy
Through equall thankfulness
One but open, so we each other favor.

Examining the Work's Motifs

This piece explores the interplay of affection and praise, as the poet engages with a woman who seeks his love. Instead, he suggests a mutual arrangement of literary tribute for intimate favors. The phraseology is graceful, blending polished norms with frank statements of desire.

Within the stanzas, the author spurns usual motifs of unreturned passion, like grief and weeping, stating they dim true beauty. The speaker favors joy and praise to showcase the lady's features, promising to portray her eyes as shining orbs and her hair as flowing air. The technique highlights a pragmatic yet artful perspective on relationships.

Key Components of the Piece

  • Shared Arrangement: The poem focuses on a suggestion of tribute in trade for enjoyment, highlighting equality between the parties.
  • Rejection of Conventional Themes: The narrator criticizes usual literary tools like grief and similes of suffering, preferring optimistic imagery.
  • Artistic Artistry: The employment of diverse meter measures and flow demonstrates the poet's expertise in composition, producing a smooth and engaging experience.
Wealthy Nature’s store (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I’l spend, to embellish
Thy beauties, if your Mine of Pleasure
With equall appreciation
One but unlock, so we each other grace.

This stanza summarizes the central arrangement, as the poet vows to utilize his creative talents to praise the maiden, in return for her willingness. The wording blends devout overtones with worldly desires, giving depth to the work's meaning.

Andrea Ashley
Andrea Ashley

A seasoned business strategist and tech enthusiast with over a decade of experience in driving organizational success.