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Since you've freely given me leave to love,
What shall you act?
Am I to your delight, or emotion stir,
As I commence pursue;
Will you torment, or disdain, or love me too?

All trivial beauty can reject, and I
Spight of your aversion
Without your leave can see, and succumb;
Dispense a nobler Fate!
It is effortless to ruin, you can form.

Then grant me consent to love, & love me too
Lacking design
To elevate, as Affection's damned rebels behave
As whining Versifiers lament,
Acclaim to their grace, from their blubber’d eyne.

Grief is a puddle and mirrors not clear
Your grace's rayes;
Joys are clear streames, your eyes look
Gloomy in sadder songs,
Within joyful lines they radiate brilliant with prayse.

Which may not allude to describe you fayr
Wounds, fires, and shafts,
Storms in your brow, snares in your hayr,
Suborning all your attributes,
Or to betray, or torture ensnared affections.

I will cause your gaze like dawn suns look,
As gentle, and fair;
One's countenance as crystal polished, and transparent,
And your unkempt locks
Shall stream like a serene Region of the Ayr.

Abundant The natural world's treasury (which is the Bard's Wealth)
I’l use, to dress
One's charms, if your Source of Delight
In equal thankfulness
Thou but release, so we each other grace.

Exploring the Poem's Ideas

This piece delves the relationship of affection and praise, where the narrator engages with a maiden who desires his devotion. Rather, he proposes a reciprocal agreement of literary admiration for private delights. The language is refined, blending refined traditions with direct utterances of longing.

Through the verses, the writer spurns usual motifs of one-sided affection, including sorrow and tears, arguing they obscure true grace. The speaker chooses happiness and acclaim to highlight the maiden's attributes, assuring to render her gaze as radiant suns and her hair as streaming breeze. The technique highlights a pragmatic yet artful view on connections.

Key Elements of the Work

• Mutual Arrangement: The poem focuses on a suggestion of tribute in trade for pleasure, emphasizing equality between the parties.
• Dismissal of Traditional Themes: The speaker criticizes typical artistic tools like sadness and metaphors of anguish, preferring upbeat descriptions.
• Poetic Craftsmanship: The use of diverse line lengths and flow displays the writer's expertise in verse, creating a graceful and engaging read.

Rich Nature’s hoard (which is the Writer's Riches)
I will expend, to adorn
Thy graces, if your Wellspring of Pleasure
In equal appreciation
One but release, so we each other bless.

This verse captures the central bargain, where the writer vows to use his creative abilities to praise the maiden, in exchange for her willingness. This language combines devout overtones with physical yearnings, giving depth to the poem's message.