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Given that you freely given me permission to love,
What will you do?
Shall I your mirth, or emotion arouse,
When I start to woo;
Shall you trouble, or mock, or adore me too?

Each petty beauty can disdain, and I
In spite of your hate
Without your permission can observe, and perish;
Dispense a loftier Destiny!
It is effortless to demolish, you could fashion.

Then give me permission to cherish, & love me too
Not with design
To uplift, as Love's accursed insurgents act
When complaining Poets lament,
Renown to their charm, from their weeping gaze.

Grief is a pond and mirrors not bright
Your grace's rayes;
Delights are untainted streames, your eyes seem
Sullen in more sorrowful layes,
In joyful lines they gleam brilliant with prayse.

What may not mention to express you fayr
Wounds, fires, and shafts,
Tempests in your forehead, snares in your locks,
Corrupting all your attributes,
Or else to deceive, or torture captive hearts.

I’ll make your eyes like dawn orbs seem,
As mild, and fayr;
One's countenance as Crystall polished, and pure,
While your dishevelled hair
Will stream like a serene Region of the Air.

Rich Nature’s store (which is the Writer's Riches)
I will use, to adorn
Thy beauties, if your Mine of Pleasure
With equall gratitude
One but open, so we one another favor.

Examining the Poem's Motifs

This composition explores the interplay of love and acclaim, in which the poet addresses a lady who requests his affection. Conversely, he proposes a shared agreement of literary tribute for personal pleasures. This language is graceful, combining polished norms with direct expressions of longing.

Through the lines, the poet spurns common motifs of one-sided affection, including sadness and weeping, arguing they dim true beauty. The speaker favors joy and praise to highlight the maiden's attributes, promising to depict her vision as shining orbs and her tresses as drifting air. This method emphasizes a realistic yet skillful outlook on bonds.

Significant Components of the Piece

• Reciprocal Exchange: The poem centers on a suggestion of tribute in return for enjoyment, stressing balance between the persons.
• Dismissal of Standard Ideas: The narrator disparages common literary techniques like grief and metaphors of anguish, choosing upbeat depictions.
• Poetic Artistry: The application of diverse verse lengths and flow demonstrates the writer's mastery in composition, forming a graceful and engaging text.

Abundant The natural world's hoard (which is the Writer's Wealth)
I will spend, to embellish
Thy beauties, if your Wellspring of Pleasure
With equal gratitude
Thou but open, so we mutually grace.

The verse captures the central bargain, where the writer pledges to use his inventive talents to praise the woman, in return for her willingness. The wording combines pious undertones with worldly desires, giving depth to the poem's message.