To a Lady That Requested I Would Show Affection
Given that you bestowed me permission to love,
What shall you respond?
Will I your joy, or passion stir,
Once I begin to woo;
Shall you distress, or mock, or cherish me too?
Each petty beauty can scorn, and I
Spight of your aversion
Lacking your permission can perceive, and succumb;
Dispense a grander Fate!
It's simple to ruin, you can form.
Therefore allow me consent to love, & love me too
Lacking design
To uplift, as Love's cursed defiers behave
While complaining Versifiers lament,
Renown to their beauty, from their blubber’d eyes.
Sadness is a pool and reflects not distinct
One's charm's beams;
Delights are clear currents, your vision appear
Gloomy in gloomier verses,
Through happy verses they gleam brilliant with praise.
That may not mention to portray you fayr
Harms, fires, and darts,
Gales in your countenance, snares in your hair,
Bribing all your attributes,
Or to trick, or torment ensnared souls.
I shall make your gaze like dawn suns seem,
Just as soft, and fair;
Your forehead as Crystall polished, and clear,
And your tousled hair
Will stream like a serene Region of the Air.
Rich The natural world's store (which is the Bard's Wealth)
I will use, to adorn
Thy beauties, if your Source of Pleasure
In equal gratitude
One but open, so we mutually bless.
Examining the Poem's Ideas
This work delves the dynamics of love and praise, in which the narrator engages with a woman who desires his devotion. Rather, he offers a shared arrangement of literary tribute for intimate favors. The language is graceful, blending courtly norms with candid utterances of desire.
Within the stanzas, the author spurns typical motifs of unreturned passion, such as grief and tears, stating they obscure true beauty. He chooses delight and acclaim to showcase the lady's attributes, assuring to render her vision as radiant orbs and her locks as flowing breeze. The technique underscores a practical yet clever perspective on bonds.
Important Aspects of the Composition
- Shared Arrangement: The verse centers on a offer of admiration in trade for delight, emphasizing balance between the individuals.
- Rejection of Standard Ideas: The narrator condemns usual literary devices like sorrow and similes of anguish, preferring positive depictions.
- Creative Craftsmanship: The application of mixed line patterns and flow showcases the author's proficiency in composition, creating a fluid and captivating experience.
Wealthy Nature’s treasury (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I will spend, to adorn
Your charms, if your Wellspring of Joy
In equall thankfulness
Thou but release, so we mutually favor.
The section captures the core arrangement, in which the writer vows to utilize his artistic talents to honor the woman, in return for her willingness. This wording combines devout hints with physical yearnings, giving profundity to the work's theme.