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Given that you freely given me consent to love,
What shall you do?
Shall I your joy, or ardor stir,
Once I start to woo;
Will you distress, or mock, or adore me too?

Each petty grace can reject, and I
In spite of your hate
Without your leave can observe, and perish;
Grant a nobler Destiny!
It's simple to demolish, you could form.

Therefore give me consent to love, & adore me too
Lacking design
To raise, as Love's accursed defiers act
As puling Poets moan,
Acclaim to their grace, from their weeping eyes.

Sorrow is a pond and reflects not distinct
One's charm's lights;
Joys are clear currents, your gaze seem
Sullen in sadder songs,
In cheerfull lines they gleam bright with praise.

What will not refer to describe you fayr
Wounds, flames, and shafts,
Storms in your brow, traps in your hayr,
Corrupting all your attributes,
Or else to betray, or torment ensnared souls.

I will cause your gaze like sunrise suns appear,
As soft, and fayr;
One's countenance as glass even, and clear,
While your dishevelled hayr
May drift like a serene Area of the Atmosphere.

Abundant Nature’s treasury (which is the Bard's Wealth)
I’l expend, to adorn
Thy beauties, if your Source of Pleasure
In matching gratitude
You but open, so we each other favor.

Delving into the Poem's Motifs

This piece explores the interplay of affection and acclaim, in which the poet speaks to a woman who seeks his affection. Conversely, he offers a shared arrangement of literary tribute for private favors. The wording is graceful, mixing courtly norms with candid utterances of desire.

In the stanzas, the author rejects usual themes of unreturned affection, such as sorrow and tears, arguing they obscure true beauty. He prefers delight and praise to emphasize the maiden's attributes, vowing to render her eyes as radiant stars and her hair as streaming breeze. The approach underscores a pragmatic yet skillful outlook on bonds.

Important Elements of the Composition

• Shared Agreement: The verse centers on a suggestion of admiration in exchange for pleasure, highlighting equality between the persons.
• Spurning of Conventional Ideas: The narrator criticizes common literary tools like sorrow and metaphors of suffering, favoring upbeat depictions.
• Artistic Artistry: The employment of diverse meter measures and cadence displays the writer's mastery in verse, forming a smooth and engaging read.

Wealthy Nature's hoard (which is the Poet’s Riches)
I shall use, to dress
One's charms, if your Source of Pleasure
With equal gratitude
One but open, so we mutually grace.

The stanza captures the essential bargain, in which the writer pledges to utilize his inventive gifts to honor the woman, in return for her willingness. This phraseology blends devout overtones with worldly longings, giving profundity to the poem's meaning.