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Now you have granted me leave to love,
How will you respond?
Am I to your delight, or passion arouse,
When I start to pursue;
Shall you distress, or mock, or adore me too?

All trivial grace can reject, and I
In spite of your dislike
Without your permission can observe, and die;
Dispense a grander Lot!
’Tis easy to ruin, you can fashion.

Then give me permission to adore, & adore me too
Without intent
To raise, as Affection's cursed rebels behave
While complaining Poets whine,
Renown to their grace, from their tearful eyes.

Sadness is a pool and reflects not distinct
Thy grace's rayes;
Joyes are untainted streames, your eyes appear
Morose in gloomier layes,
In joyful lines they shine luminous with praise.

What shall not allude to express you lovely
Injuries, blazes, and shafts,
Storms in your countenance, traps in your locks,
Suborning all your attributes,
Either to trick, or torture trapped souls.

I’ll render your eyes like sunrise suns appear,
Like mild, and fair;
Thy forehead as Crystall polished, and transparent,
And your tousled hayr
Shall drift like a serene Region of the Ayr.

Rich Nature's store (which is the Writer's Riches)
I’l expend, to adorn
One's graces, if your Mine of Pleasure
With equall gratitude
One but release, so we one another grace.

Delving into the Work's Themes

This piece delves the interplay of love and admiration, as the speaker engages with a maiden who requests his affection. Instead, he offers a shared exchange of literary praise for private pleasures. The language is graceful, blending polished conventions with candid statements of yearning.

Within the stanzas, the writer spurns typical tropes of unreturned affection, including sorrow and lamentation, arguing they cloud true beauty. He prefers delight and admiration to showcase the lady's features, promising to depict her gaze as shining stars and her hair as flowing air. This method highlights a realistic yet clever view on relationships.

Important Elements of the Work

• Shared Agreement: The poem revolves on a offer of praise in trade for enjoyment, emphasizing balance between the individuals.
• Rejection of Conventional Motifs: The narrator condemns typical literary devices like sorrow and metaphors of anguish, favoring optimistic imagery.
• Poetic Craftsmanship: The application of mixed line measures and cadence displays the writer's expertise in verse, forming a smooth and engaging experience.

Rich Nature’s hoard (which is the Poet’s Treasure)
I will spend, to dress
Thy graces, if your Wellspring of Joy
In equall thankfulness
You but unlock, so we one another grace.

The verse summarizes the core bargain, in which the poet promises to employ his inventive gifts to honor the woman, as compensation for her receptiveness. This language mixes spiritual overtones with earthly longings, giving depth to the verse's meaning.