For a Lady Who Requested Me to Show Affection

Since you've bestowed me leave to love,
What shall you act?
Am I to your joy, or ardor stir,
When I commence pursue;
Will you distress, or scorn, or adore me too?

Every minor charm can scorn, and I
Spight of your aversion
Lacking your leave can observe, and die;
Grant a loftier Lot!
It's simple to destroy, you can form.

Therefore allow me leave to adore, & adore me too
Without purpose
To elevate, as Loves cursed rebels do
As puling Versifiers lament,
Renown to their beauty, from their blubber’d eyne.

Sorrow is a pond and reflects not clear
One's grace's beams;
Joyes are clear streames, your gaze look
Sullen in sadder layes,
Within joyful lines they radiate bright with praise.

Which shall not refer to describe you fair
Wounds, flames, and darts,
Storms in your forehead, snares in your hair,
Bribing all your parts,
Or else to betray, or afflict trapped affections.

I shall cause your vision like dawn stars look,
Like soft, and lovely;
One's countenance as Crystall polished, and pure,
While your unkempt hayr
Shall stream like a serene Region of the Atmosphere.

Wealthy Nature’s store (which is the Bard's Wealth)
I’l spend, to dress
Thy graces, if your Mine of Pleasure
In equall appreciation
You but unlock, so we mutually grace.

Examining the Poem's Ideas

The piece examines the dynamics of affection and acclaim, in which the speaker engages with a woman who requests his devotion. Rather, he offers a shared arrangement of poetic admiration for personal pleasures. This language is graceful, combining refined norms with candid statements of yearning.

Through the stanzas, the author rejects common motifs of one-sided affection, including sorrow and weeping, stating they obscure true grace. The speaker prefers delight and admiration to showcase the lady's features, vowing to portray her gaze as radiant suns and her hair as streaming breeze. The technique underscores a realistic yet artful view on connections.

Important Elements of the Piece

  • Mutual Agreement: The verse revolves on a offer of tribute in exchange for delight, highlighting parity between the individuals.
  • Rejection of Standard Motifs: The speaker condemns typical literary devices like sorrow and similes of suffering, favoring upbeat depictions.
  • Creative Artistry: The application of diverse verse measures and cadence displays the writer's expertise in composition, producing a fluid and captivating experience.
Rich Nature’s store (which is the Writer's Wealth)
I shall expend, to embellish
One's graces, if your Mine of Pleasure
With equall thankfulness
Thou but open, so we each other favor.

This verse captures the central bargain, as the poet promises to employ his inventive talents to celebrate the woman, in return for her willingness. The wording blends pious hints with physical desires, giving depth to the work's theme.

Jennifer Boyd
Jennifer Boyd

A seasoned entrepreneur and digital strategist with over a decade of experience in scaling tech startups and mentoring founders.