To a Lady Who Requested I Would Love Her

Given that you granted me consent to love,
What shall you act?
Shall I your joy, or emotion move,
As I begin to woo;
Do you distress, or disdain, or love me too?

Every minor charm can scorn, and I
In spite of your aversion
Without your consent can observe, and die;
Bestow a loftier Fate!
It is effortless to destroy, you can fashion.

Therefore give me permission to adore, & cherish me too
Without design
To uplift, as Loves accursed insurgents act
While whining Bards moan,
Fame to their beauty, from their blubber’d eyes.

Sorrow is a pool and shows not distinct
Thy charm's rayes;
Joys are untainted currents, your eyes appear
Morose in more sorrowful verses,
Within cheerfull verses they gleam luminous with prayse.

Which may not allude to describe you lovely
Injuries, blazes, and arrows,
Storms in your forehead, snares in your locks,
Bribing all your features,
Either to betray, or torture ensnared hearts.

I’ll make your eyes like dawn orbs seem,
As soft, and fayr;
Your brow as glass polished, and transparent,
And your tousled hair
Will drift like a serene Region of the Air.

Rich Nature’s treasury (which is the Poet’s Treasure)
I will expend, to adorn
Thy beauties, if your Wellspring of Pleasure
Through equal appreciation
Thou but release, so we one another bless.

Exploring the Work's Themes

This composition explores the relationship of love and praise, as the poet engages with a maiden who desires his devotion. Rather, he suggests a reciprocal agreement of literary admiration for private pleasures. The language is elegant, combining courtly traditions with candid expressions of desire.

Through the verses, the author dismisses typical tropes of one-sided love, including grief and weeping, claiming they obscure true grace. He favors delight and praise to highlight the lady's qualities, promising to render her gaze as shining suns and her tresses as streaming air. This method underscores a practical yet clever outlook on relationships.

Key Elements of the Work

  • Reciprocal Exchange: The work revolves on a proposal of praise in trade for pleasure, highlighting equality between the persons.
  • Rejection of Standard Ideas: The narrator criticizes common literary techniques like sorrow and imagery of suffering, favoring positive imagery.
  • Artistic Craftsmanship: The application of diverse meter measures and flow demonstrates the author's expertise in poetry, creating a smooth and captivating experience.
Rich The natural world's treasury (which is the Poet’s Treasure)
I’l spend, to embellish
Your beauties, if your Mine of Joy
With matching appreciation
One but open, so we each other grace.

The stanza encapsulates the essential deal, as the writer pledges to utilize his inventive abilities to honor the woman, in exchange for her openness. This wording blends pious overtones with earthly yearnings, providing complexity to the work's meaning.

Matthew Young
Matthew Young

Automotive journalist and tech enthusiast with a passion for sustainable mobility and innovation.

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