To a Lady That Wished Me to Love Her

Now you have freely given me leave to love,
What will you do?
Shall I your joy, or emotion move,
Once I begin to pursue;
Do you trouble, or scorn, or cherish me too?

Each petty beauty can disdain, and I
Spight of your aversion
Absent your leave can observe, and perish;
Bestow a grander Fate!
’Tis easy to demolish, you can create.

Then allow me consent to adore, & love me too
Not with purpose
To uplift, as Loves cursed defiers behave
As complaining Poets lament,
Fame to their charm, from their weeping gaze.

Sadness is a pool and reflects not clear
Your charm's lights;
Joys are pure currents, your vision seem
Gloomy in gloomier songs,
Within joyful verses they gleam bright with acclaim.

Which will not allude to express you fayr
Injuries, blazes, and darts,
Tempests in your forehead, traps in your locks,
Suborning all your features,
Or to deceive, or afflict ensnared hearts.

I will cause your vision like sunrise suns look,
Like mild, and fayr;
Thy forehead as glass even, and clear,
And your unkempt hair
Will drift like a serene Region of the Ayr.

Abundant Nature's hoard (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I shall use, to dress
Thy graces, if your Wellspring of Delight
Through matching thankfulness
Thou but release, so we each other grace.

Delving into the Verse's Ideas

The work delves the dynamics of passion and acclaim, in which the poet speaks to a lady who requests his affection. Instead, he proposes a mutual arrangement of artistic tribute for personal favors. The language is elegant, combining courtly conventions with candid statements of desire.

In the lines, the writer rejects typical themes of unreturned passion, like sorrow and tears, arguing they cloud true grace. The speaker prefers delight and praise to emphasize the lady's qualities, assuring to depict her vision as shining orbs and her locks as drifting breeze. This approach highlights a practical yet skillful perspective on connections.

Key Aspects of the Work

  • Reciprocal Arrangement: The verse focuses on a proposal of admiration in return for enjoyment, stressing balance between the parties.
  • Spurning of Conventional Motifs: The speaker condemns common literary tools like sadness and metaphors of anguish, preferring optimistic descriptions.
  • Poetic Artistry: The application of mixed meter lengths and rhythm displays the writer's mastery in composition, producing a fluid and compelling text.
Wealthy The natural world's treasury (which is the Bard's Treasure)
I shall expend, to adorn
Thy charms, if your Source of Delight
Through equall thankfulness
One but unlock, so we mutually grace.

The verse captures the central deal, in which the author vows to employ his artistic abilities to praise the woman, as compensation for her willingness. The wording combines devout hints with worldly desires, providing depth to the work's theme.

Mary Brown
Mary Brown

A passionate iOS developer with over 8 years of experience, specializing in Swift and creating user-friendly apps.

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