Addressing a Lady Who Requested I Would Show Affection

Given that you freely given me leave to love,
How will you do?
Am I to your delight, or passion stir,
As I start to pursue;
Will you trouble, or disdain, or cherish me too?

Each petty grace can scorn, and I
Spight of your hate
Lacking your leave can perceive, and succumb;
Dispense a loftier Fate!
It is effortless to ruin, you can fashion.

Then allow me consent to love, & love me too
Not with design
To raise, as Loves accursed rebels behave
While whining Poets moan,
Fame to their charm, from their blubber’d gaze.

Sorrow is a puddle and shows not distinct
Thy charm's rayes;
Joys are pure streames, your vision appear
Gloomy in more sorrowful layes,
Through joyful verses they radiate luminous with praise.

Which will not refer to portray you lovely
Harms, blazes, and shafts,
Gales in your brow, nets in your hayr,
Suborning all your attributes,
Either to betray, or torment ensnared souls.

I will render your vision like dawn stars look,
As soft, and fair;
One's brow as Crystall polished, and transparent,
Whereas your tousled hayr
Will drift like a serene Area of the Atmosphere.

Rich The natural world's treasury (which is the Bard's Riches)
I’l use, to embellish
Your beauties, if your Mine of Pleasure
With equal thankfulness
Thou but release, so we one another bless.

Examining the Verse's Themes

This composition delves the dynamics of affection and praise, as the narrator addresses a maiden who desires his devotion. Instead, he proposes a shared agreement of artistic admiration for private favors. The language is refined, combining refined traditions with direct utterances of longing.

Through the verses, the author dismisses common tropes of unreturned passion, such as sadness and tears, claiming they obscure true beauty. The speaker chooses delight and admiration to showcase the lady's features, promising to portray her eyes as shining orbs and her tresses as drifting air. The technique underscores a pragmatic yet artful view on connections.

Important Elements of the Piece

  • Reciprocal Arrangement: The verse revolves on a suggestion of admiration in trade for enjoyment, highlighting balance between the parties.
  • Dismissal of Conventional Themes: The poet disparages common artistic techniques like grief and metaphors of anguish, choosing upbeat imagery.
  • Creative Artistry: The employment of diverse line patterns and rhythm demonstrates the poet's expertise in composition, forming a fluid and engaging text.
Wealthy Nature's hoard (which is the Poet’s Riches)
I will spend, to embellish
Your graces, if your Source of Pleasure
Through matching gratitude
You but open, so we each other bless.

This section summarizes the essential deal, where the poet vows to use his inventive gifts to celebrate the maiden, in return for her willingness. The wording mixes pious overtones with worldly desires, giving profundity to the work's meaning.

Ashley Owen
Ashley Owen

A passionate sports journalist with over a decade of experience covering local Sicilian teams and events.