For a Lady Who Wished Me to Love Her

Given that you bestowed me permission to love,
What will you act?
Am I to your joy, or passion arouse,
Once I start to pursue;
Will you distress, or disdain, or adore me too?

Every minor charm can scorn, and I
Spight of your dislike
Without your leave can observe, and succumb;
Grant a loftier Fate!
’Tis easy to destroy, you may form.

Thus give me consent to adore, & love me too
Not with design
To elevate, as Affection's damned insurgents act
When puling Versifiers whine,
Acclaim to their beauty, from their tearful gaze.

Sorrow is a puddle and mirrors not clear
Thy beauty’s lights;
Joyes are clear streames, your vision appear
Gloomy in gloomier verses,
Through happy numbers they gleam brilliant with praise.

What will not mention to portray you lovely
Harms, fires, and darts,
Storms in your forehead, traps in your hair,
Suborning all your features,
Or else to betray, or torment trapped hearts.

I’ll cause your vision like sunrise suns appear,
Like mild, and fayr;
Thy brow as crystal polished, and transparent,
And your unkempt hair
Will drift like a serene Region of the Atmosphere.

Abundant Nature's treasury (which is the Bard's Treasure)
I shall use, to adorn
Your beauties, if your Wellspring of Pleasure
In equal gratitude
Thou but release, so we one another bless.

Examining the Verse's Motifs

The work explores the interplay of passion and praise, as the poet speaks to a lady who requests his love. Conversely, he proposes a mutual exchange of artistic praise for intimate pleasures. This phraseology is refined, mixing refined conventions with candid utterances of longing.

Through the verses, the writer spurns usual tropes of unrequited love, including grief and tears, arguing they cloud true beauty. He prefers joy and admiration to highlight the lady's features, vowing to depict her vision as radiant stars and her locks as flowing air. The technique highlights a practical yet artful perspective on relationships.

Key Elements of the Work

  • Reciprocal Exchange: The verse focuses on a offer of tribute in exchange for pleasure, stressing balance between the persons.
  • Dismissal of Standard Ideas: The narrator disparages common literary techniques like sorrow and metaphors of suffering, favoring optimistic imagery.
  • Creative Skill: The employment of varied line measures and flow displays the poet's expertise in poetry, forming a fluid and engaging text.
Rich Nature's hoard (which is the Poet’s Treasure)
I shall spend, to dress
Your charms, if your Source of Pleasure
Through matching thankfulness
Thou but open, so we one another bless.

This stanza captures the core bargain, as the poet vows to utilize his artistic gifts to honor the lady, in return for her openness. The language mixes pious hints with physical yearnings, adding depth to the verse's theme.

Joyce Evans
Joyce Evans

A tech-savvy entertainment critic with a passion for dissecting the latest in streaming media and digital content trends.

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