For a Lady That Wished Me to Love Her

Given that you granted me leave to love,
What shall you act?
Will I your delight, or ardor arouse,
As I start to woo;
Do you trouble, or mock, or cherish me too?

Every minor beauty can disdain, and I
Spight of your dislike
Absent your leave can observe, and die;
Dispense a loftier Destiny!
It's simple to demolish, you may form.

Then give me permission to love, & love me too
Lacking purpose
To uplift, as Love's cursed rebels act
As whining Versifiers whine,
Renown to their grace, from their blubber’d gaze.

Sadness is a pond and shows not clear
Thy charm's beams;
Joyes are pure currents, your eyes look
Gloomy in more sorrowful layes,
Through cheerfull lines they shine brilliant with acclaim.

That shall not refer to express you fayr
Harms, fires, and darts,
Tempests in your countenance, snares in your hayr,
Corrupting all your parts,
Or else to deceive, or afflict ensnared affections.

I’ll make your vision like dawn orbs seem,
As mild, and lovely;
One's brow as glass even, and clear,
While your tousled hayr
Shall drift like a tranquil Zone of the Air.

Wealthy The natural world's hoard (which is the Writer's Wealth)
I’l spend, to adorn
One's beauties, if your Source of Joy
Through equal appreciation
You but release, so we each other favor.

Exploring the Work's Motifs

The composition delves the dynamics of affection and acclaim, as the speaker speaks to a woman who seeks his love. Instead, he offers a mutual agreement of literary tribute for private favors. The language is elegant, combining polished conventions with direct statements of longing.

In the stanzas, the poet dismisses typical tropes of unreturned affection, including sorrow and weeping, arguing they obscure true grace. The speaker chooses joy and praise to showcase the woman's qualities, assuring to portray her eyes as radiant orbs and her tresses as flowing atmosphere. This technique highlights a realistic yet skillful outlook on connections.

Significant Aspects of the Work

  • Shared Exchange: The work focuses on a suggestion of admiration in return for enjoyment, highlighting balance between the persons.
  • Dismissal of Traditional Ideas: The narrator disparages common literary techniques like sadness and metaphors of suffering, favoring optimistic imagery.
  • Artistic Craftsmanship: The application of diverse meter measures and flow displays the poet's proficiency in poetry, producing a fluid and captivating text.
Wealthy Nature’s store (which is the Writer's Riches)
I shall expend, to embellish
Thy graces, if your Source of Joy
Through equall appreciation
Thou but open, so we mutually grace.

This verse summarizes the essential arrangement, where the author promises to employ his creative talents to celebrate the lady, as compensation for her willingness. The language mixes spiritual undertones with physical desires, adding profundity to the verse's theme.

Sarah Shaw
Sarah Shaw

Tech entrepreneur and startup advisor with a passion for mentoring new founders and sharing practical business strategies.