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Since you've bestowed me leave to love,
What will you respond?
Shall I your joy, or ardor arouse,
Once I commence pursue;
Shall you torment, or disdain, or love me too?

All trivial beauty can scorn, and I
Spight of your aversion
Lacking your leave can perceive, and succumb;
Bestow a loftier Destiny!
’Tis easy to demolish, you may fashion.

Then grant me consent to love, & love me too
Without purpose
To elevate, as Loves damned rebels do
When puling Bards moan,
Fame to their beauty, from their weeping eyne.

Grief is a pool and mirrors not clear
Your charm's rayes;
Delights are clear currents, your vision seem
Morose in more sorrowful songs,
In cheerfull numbers they radiate bright with acclaim.

Which will not allude to portray you fair
Harms, flames, and darts,
Storms in your forehead, traps in your locks,
Suborning all your features,
Or to betray, or torture ensnared souls.

I will render your gaze like morning stars look,
Like mild, and lovely;
Thy countenance as crystal even, and transparent,
While your dishevelled hair
Will flow like a calm Region of the Ayr.

Abundant Nature’s treasury (which is the Bard's Treasure)
I’l expend, to adorn
Your beauties, if your Mine of Pleasure
In equall thankfulness
One but release, so we each other favor.

Exploring the Poem's Themes

This piece explores the dynamics of affection and admiration, where the narrator engages with a lady who seeks his love. Instead, he proposes a reciprocal agreement of literary admiration for intimate pleasures. The language is elegant, mixing courtly traditions with direct utterances of longing.

In the lines, the author spurns usual tropes of unreturned love, including grief and tears, claiming they cloud true grace. The speaker chooses delight and praise to emphasize the maiden's attributes, promising to render her gaze as bright suns and her hair as drifting air. This approach underscores a practical yet artful view on connections.

Key Elements of the Work

• Reciprocal Exchange: The poem focuses on a suggestion of praise in return for pleasure, stressing equality between the parties.
• Dismissal of Conventional Themes: The speaker condemns usual literary techniques like sorrow and metaphors of pain, preferring optimistic depictions.
• Poetic Craftsmanship: The employment of varied meter patterns and rhythm showcases the writer's proficiency in poetry, producing a graceful and compelling experience.

Wealthy Nature's hoard (which is the Bard's Riches)
I will use, to adorn
One's charms, if your Source of Delight
Through matching thankfulness
You but open, so we each other bless.

The section encapsulates the essential deal, where the writer pledges to utilize his artistic abilities to honor the woman, as compensation for her receptiveness. This language blends devout overtones with earthly longings, adding profundity to the work's theme.