For a Lady Who Desired Me to Love Her
Since you've granted me consent to love,
What will you respond?
Shall I your joy, or ardor move,
When I start to court;
Do you trouble, or scorn, or love me too?
Each petty charm can scorn, and I
Spight of your dislike
Without your consent can see, and succumb;
Grant a loftier Destiny!
It's simple to demolish, you may create.
Then grant me leave to love, & cherish me too
Without purpose
To raise, as Love's damned insurgents do
When whining Versifiers moan,
Fame to their grace, from their blubber’d eyne.
Grief is a puddle and shows not bright
Your charm's rayes;
Joys are untainted streames, your vision seem
Gloomy in sadder layes,
Through happy lines they gleam bright with praise.
What shall not mention to express you fayr
Injuries, flames, and shafts,
Storms in your forehead, traps in your hair,
Corrupting all your parts,
Or to trick, or torment captive souls.
I will make your gaze like morning stars look,
Just as mild, and lovely;
One's brow as crystal smooth, and pure,
And your tousled hair
Shall flow like a serene Region of the Air.
Wealthy Nature's hoard (which is the Bard's Wealth)
I’l use, to adorn
One's graces, if your Source of Pleasure
Through equall thankfulness
One but unlock, so we each other favor.
Exploring the Poem's Ideas
The composition examines the interplay of love and admiration, where the speaker speaks to a maiden who seeks his love. Conversely, he suggests a mutual arrangement of literary admiration for private favors. This wording is elegant, blending refined norms with frank expressions of desire.
Within the verses, the poet spurns typical motifs of one-sided passion, such as grief and tears, claiming they cloud true beauty. The speaker chooses delight and praise to highlight the lady's qualities, promising to render her vision as shining suns and her tresses as streaming breeze. This method underscores a realistic yet clever outlook on bonds.
Significant Aspects of the Composition
- Shared Arrangement: The poem centers on a suggestion of tribute in trade for enjoyment, highlighting balance between the individuals.
- Rejection of Traditional Motifs: The speaker condemns usual poetic techniques like sorrow and imagery of suffering, favoring positive imagery.
- Creative Skill: The use of diverse verse lengths and flow demonstrates the writer's expertise in poetry, forming a fluid and compelling experience.
Abundant The natural world's treasury (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I will use, to adorn
Your charms, if your Source of Joy
Through matching thankfulness
Thou but release, so we each other grace.
The stanza captures the core deal, in which the writer vows to utilize his artistic abilities to celebrate the maiden, in exchange for her receptiveness. The phraseology blends pious overtones with earthly desires, adding profundity to the poem's theme.