For a Lady That Desired I Would Show Affection
Now you have granted me consent to love,
How will you do?
Am I to your delight, or ardor stir,
As I start to court;
Shall you torment, or disdain, or adore me too?
Every minor beauty can scorn, and I
Spight of your dislike
Without your leave can see, and succumb;
Dispense a loftier Destiny!
’Tis easy to destroy, you could form.
Then allow me consent to love, & adore me too
Lacking purpose
To uplift, as Love's damned defiers act
While puling Versifiers lament,
Acclaim to their grace, from their tearful eyne.
Grief is a pond and reflects not clear
Your charm's beams;
Delights are clear streams, your gaze seem
Sullen in sadder verses,
Through cheerfull lines they shine luminous with acclaim.
Which may not mention to portray you fair
Harms, fires, and darts,
Tempests in your brow, snares in your hayr,
Bribing all your attributes,
Or else to trick, or torment trapped hearts.
I shall cause your eyes like dawn stars seem,
As gentle, and fayr;
Your brow as glass polished, and clear,
And your unkempt hayr
Will drift like a calm Area of the Ayr.
Abundant The natural world's treasury (which is the Bard's Treasure)
I’l spend, to adorn
One's graces, if your Source of Pleasure
In matching thankfulness
You but open, so we one another favor.
Delving into the Verse's Ideas
The piece examines the dynamics of affection and praise, as the narrator speaks to a maiden who desires his love. Instead, he suggests a reciprocal exchange of poetic tribute for personal delights. This language is refined, mixing courtly conventions with direct statements of yearning.
In the stanzas, the poet rejects typical tropes of unreturned love, such as sorrow and tears, stating they cloud true charm. The speaker chooses joy and acclaim to highlight the lady's qualities, promising to render her vision as radiant suns and her tresses as flowing air. The approach underscores a realistic yet artful view on connections.
Important Aspects of the Composition
- Mutual Agreement: The work revolves on a suggestion of tribute in return for enjoyment, stressing parity between the parties.
- Spurning of Standard Themes: The narrator criticizes typical poetic techniques like grief and metaphors of anguish, favoring upbeat descriptions.
- Poetic Craftsmanship: The use of diverse line lengths and cadence demonstrates the poet's proficiency in composition, producing a smooth and compelling experience.
Wealthy Nature's store (which is the Writer's Riches)
I shall use, to dress
Your graces, if your Source of Delight
With matching gratitude
One but unlock, so we mutually bless.
The stanza captures the central arrangement, as the writer vows to employ his artistic talents to honor the maiden, in exchange for her openness. This wording blends pious overtones with earthly desires, adding profundity to the verse's meaning.