🔗 Share this article

Given that you freely given me permission to love,
What shall you act?
Am I to your joy, or passion arouse,
Once I begin to court;
Will you distress, or scorn, or love me too?

Every minor grace can disdain, and I
In spite of your hate
Without your consent can see, and succumb;
Grant a loftier Fate!
’Tis easy to destroy, you may fashion.

Therefore allow me leave to love, & cherish me too
Without intent
To elevate, as Love's cursed defiers act
While whining Bards lament,
Acclaim to their beauty, from their tearful gaze.

Sorrow is a pool and shows not clear
Your grace's rayes;
Delights are pure streams, your eyes seem
Gloomy in sadder verses,
Through joyful numbers they gleam bright with prayse.

That will not allude to describe you fayr
Injuries, blazes, and darts,
Gales in your brow, traps in your hayr,
Bribing all your parts,
Either to betray, or afflict ensnared hearts.

I’ll cause your vision like dawn stars look,
Like gentle, and lovely;
One's brow as crystal smooth, and clear,
While your dishevelled locks
Shall stream like a tranquil Zone of the Air.

Rich Nature’s hoard (which is the Poet’s Riches)
I will spend, to embellish
One's charms, if your Source of Pleasure
Through matching gratitude
Thou but unlock, so we each other bless.

Delving into the Verse's Ideas

The piece delves the relationship of affection and admiration, as the narrator speaks to a woman who desires his devotion. Rather, he suggests a mutual arrangement of poetic praise for intimate favors. This wording is graceful, blending polished conventions with frank statements of yearning.

Through the stanzas, the poet dismisses usual tropes of unrequited love, like grief and tears, arguing they dim true charm. He prefers joy and acclaim to emphasize the lady's qualities, assuring to portray her vision as shining orbs and her locks as flowing breeze. The approach highlights a realistic yet artful perspective on relationships.

Key Elements of the Work

• Mutual Agreement: The work focuses on a proposal of praise in return for enjoyment, highlighting equality between the parties.
• Rejection of Standard Ideas: The poet condemns common literary techniques like sadness and imagery of anguish, preferring positive depictions.
• Artistic Skill: The employment of varied verse lengths and cadence demonstrates the author's mastery in verse, creating a fluid and engaging experience.

Abundant The natural world's hoard (which is the Poet’s Riches)
I shall spend, to adorn
Thy graces, if your Source of Delight
Through matching appreciation
One but release, so we one another favor.

The section summarizes the essential bargain, as the poet pledges to employ his inventive talents to honor the maiden, as compensation for her receptiveness. The phraseology blends pious undertones with physical desires, giving profundity to the work's meaning.