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Since you've granted me leave to love,
What shall you do?
Am I to your joy, or passion arouse,
Once I commence woo;
Shall you distress, or mock, or adore me too?

All trivial charm can disdain, and I
Despite your hate
Without your consent can see, and die;
Bestow a loftier Destiny!
It is effortless to ruin, you could fashion.

Therefore allow me consent to cherish, & love me too
Not with intent
To elevate, as Love's damned defiers behave
When puling Poets whine,
Renown to their beauty, from their tearful eyne.

Sorrow is a pond and shows not bright
Thy beauty’s lights;
Joyes are clear streames, your eyes seem
Sullen in gloomier songs,
Through happy numbers they shine luminous with prayse.

That shall not refer to describe you fayr
Harms, fires, and arrows,
Gales in your countenance, snares in your hayr,
Corrupting all your features,
Either to trick, or torment trapped affections.

I will make your vision like morning orbs seem,
As soft, and fayr;
Thy forehead as glass smooth, and clear,
While your dishevelled hair
Will stream like a serene Region of the Ayr.

Wealthy The natural world's treasury (which is the Poet’s Treasure)
I shall use, to embellish
Thy graces, if your Mine of Pleasure
Through equal gratitude
You but release, so we mutually favor.

Examining the Poem's Ideas

The piece explores the interplay of love and acclaim, where the speaker addresses a lady who seeks his affection. Conversely, he proposes a shared arrangement of poetic admiration for personal favors. This language is graceful, mixing courtly conventions with frank statements of desire.

Within the stanzas, the author spurns common tropes of one-sided passion, such as sorrow and weeping, stating they cloud true grace. The speaker favors delight and acclaim to emphasize the woman's qualities, vowing to depict her vision as shining orbs and her tresses as flowing atmosphere. This approach underscores a practical yet artful view on connections.

Significant Aspects of the Composition

• Shared Exchange: The poem centers on a proposal of praise in return for pleasure, emphasizing equality between the parties.
• Dismissal of Conventional Themes: The narrator condemns common literary techniques like grief and metaphors of suffering, choosing positive depictions.
• Creative Artistry: The use of diverse meter measures and flow showcases the writer's mastery in verse, forming a smooth and compelling read.

Abundant Nature's treasury (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I will spend, to embellish
Thy beauties, if your Source of Pleasure
With equall appreciation
You but open, so we one another bless.

This stanza captures the central deal, as the poet promises to use his artistic abilities to praise the woman, in return for her receptiveness. This wording blends pious undertones with physical desires, giving complexity to the work's theme.