Given that you granted me permission to love,
What will you act?
Am I to your joy, or ardor arouse,
As I start to pursue;
Will you torment, or mock, or cherish me too?
Each petty beauty can scorn, and I
In spite of your hate
Without your consent can perceive, and succumb;
Bestow a grander Lot!
’Tis easy to destroy, you may fashion.
Then give me permission to cherish, & love me too
Not with intent
To uplift, as Affection's damned defiers act
While complaining Versifiers whine,
Fame to their beauty, from their tearful gaze.
Grief is a pond and shows not bright
Thy grace's beams;
Delights are clear currents, your vision seem
Gloomy in sadder songs,
In cheerfull numbers they shine brilliant with prayse.
That may not refer to describe you fayr
Harms, flames, and arrows,
Gales in your forehead, snares in your locks,
Corrupting all your parts,
Either to betray, or afflict captive hearts.
I will cause your gaze like morning suns appear,
Like soft, and fayr;
Your countenance as Crystall polished, and clear,
And your unkempt hayr
Shall flow like a serene Area of the Atmosphere.
Wealthy Nature’s hoard (which is the Writer's Wealth)
I will use, to dress
Thy charms, if your Source of Pleasure
Through matching gratitude
One but release, so we each other grace.
The piece explores the interplay of love and admiration, as the narrator addresses a lady who seeks his affection. Rather, he offers a reciprocal agreement of poetic admiration for personal pleasures. The phraseology is graceful, mixing courtly norms with frank utterances of desire.
Through the stanzas, the writer rejects common tropes of unrequited passion, like grief and tears, claiming they cloud true beauty. He prefers happiness and acclaim to emphasize the maiden's features, promising to depict her gaze as radiant orbs and her hair as flowing air. The approach emphasizes a practical yet skillful perspective on relationships.
Wealthy The natural world's treasury (which is the Writer's Riches)
I shall expend, to dress
One's beauties, if your Source of Pleasure
Through equal thankfulness
One but open, so we one another bless.
This verse summarizes the core bargain, in which the writer vows to use his inventive abilities to praise the maiden, in return for her receptiveness. The phraseology blends pious overtones with worldly yearnings, giving profundity to the poem's message.
A dedicated writer and theologian passionate about sharing faith-based insights and fostering community connections.
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