For a Lady That Desired I Would Show Affection

Since you've granted me permission to love,
What will you respond?
Shall I your delight, or emotion move,
As I commence court;
Shall you distress, or scorn, or adore me too?

Every minor beauty can disdain, and I
In spite of your aversion
Absent your consent can perceive, and perish;
Dispense a grander Destiny!
It's simple to ruin, you could fashion.

Then grant me consent to cherish, & love me too
Lacking intent
To uplift, as Affection's accursed insurgents act
When puling Poets lament,
Fame to their beauty, from their blubber’d eyes.

Sorrow is a pool and mirrors not clear
Your charm's beams;
Delights are untainted streams, your vision look
Morose in sadder layes,
In happy numbers they radiate luminous with praise.

That may not refer to express you fayr
Wounds, fires, and arrows,
Storms in your countenance, traps in your hayr,
Corrupting all your features,
Or to betray, or torment trapped affections.

I’ll make your gaze like sunrise orbs seem,
Just as soft, and lovely;
Your forehead as glass even, and transparent,
While your tousled hair
Will stream like a calm Zone of the Ayr.

Wealthy The natural world's hoard (which is the Poet’s Riches)
I’l use, to dress
One's beauties, if your Source of Pleasure
Through equal appreciation
You but unlock, so we each other favor.

Delving into the Poem's Motifs

This piece examines the interplay of affection and acclaim, where the poet engages with a maiden who desires his love. Instead, he proposes a shared arrangement of artistic admiration for personal delights. The phraseology is elegant, combining polished norms with candid utterances of yearning.

In the lines, the writer dismisses usual tropes of unreturned affection, including sadness and weeping, claiming they obscure true grace. He chooses delight and praise to showcase the woman's attributes, assuring to portray her eyes as radiant suns and her hair as streaming air. This approach underscores a practical yet clever outlook on bonds.

Key Elements of the Composition

  • Mutual Exchange: The poem centers on a proposal of admiration in trade for delight, highlighting parity between the individuals.
  • Dismissal of Traditional Motifs: The narrator disparages typical artistic tools like sadness and imagery of suffering, favoring positive imagery.
  • Poetic Artistry: The use of mixed meter measures and flow demonstrates the poet's expertise in composition, creating a graceful and engaging text.
Wealthy Nature's store (which is the Bard's Treasure)
I will use, to dress
Your graces, if your Source of Delight
Through equal appreciation
Thou but release, so we mutually bless.

This section encapsulates the essential arrangement, in which the writer vows to utilize his creative gifts to celebrate the maiden, as compensation for her openness. This wording combines spiritual undertones with worldly longings, adding depth to the poem's meaning.

Scott Beck
Scott Beck

A passionate sports journalist with over a decade of experience covering major leagues and events.