To a Lady Who Wished I Would Show Affection
Since you've bestowed me permission to love,
What shall you do?
Will I your joy, or ardor arouse,
Once I begin to court;
Will you torment, or scorn, or adore me too?
All trivial charm can scorn, and I
Despite your hate
Lacking your permission can see, and perish;
Bestow a nobler Destiny!
’Tis easy to demolish, you could create.
Thus allow me leave to cherish, & adore me too
Lacking purpose
To elevate, as Affection's cursed rebels do
While puling Bards lament,
Fame to their grace, from their weeping gaze.
Sorrow is a pond and mirrors not bright
One's beauty’s rayes;
Joys are clear streames, your vision seem
Gloomy in gloomier songs,
Through happy lines they radiate luminous with praise.
What may not refer to describe you fayr
Wounds, flames, and arrows,
Gales in your brow, nets in your hayr,
Corrupting all your attributes,
Or to deceive, or afflict trapped souls.
I shall render your vision like sunrise suns look,
As soft, and fayr;
Your brow as crystal smooth, and pure,
And your dishevelled locks
Shall drift like a serene Zone of the Ayr.
Rich The natural world's treasury (which is the Poet’s Treasure)
I will spend, to adorn
One's charms, if your Source of Delight
In equall appreciation
One but release, so we one another grace.
Exploring the Poem's Themes
This work delves the dynamics of passion and acclaim, in which the poet addresses a woman who seeks his affection. Rather, he suggests a mutual exchange of artistic praise for intimate delights. The language is elegant, mixing courtly norms with candid utterances of yearning.
In the stanzas, the poet rejects common tropes of unrequited love, such as sorrow and lamentation, stating they cloud true grace. He chooses happiness and admiration to highlight the woman's attributes, promising to render her gaze as radiant stars and her hair as flowing breeze. This approach highlights a realistic yet artful view on connections.
Important Aspects of the Piece
- Mutual Agreement: The poem focuses on a offer of praise in trade for delight, stressing parity between the individuals.
- Dismissal of Standard Ideas: The speaker disparages usual poetic devices like grief and metaphors of anguish, favoring positive depictions.
- Creative Artistry: The use of diverse meter patterns and flow displays the writer's expertise in composition, producing a graceful and captivating experience.
Wealthy Nature’s treasury (which is the Bard's Wealth)
I shall expend, to embellish
Your beauties, if your Wellspring of Pleasure
Through matching appreciation
You but release, so we mutually grace.
The section captures the central deal, as the author pledges to utilize his creative abilities to celebrate the woman, in exchange for her willingness. This phraseology combines devout undertones with worldly yearnings, adding profundity to the verse's theme.
